This Modern Age (1931)

Valentine Winters goes to Paris to meet the divorced mother she has never known. She becomes involved with dissipated Tony and when their car rolls over is saved by Harvard footballer Bob. ... See full summary »

Director:

Nick Grinde

Writers:

Frank Butler, Mildred Cram (story),

Stars:

Joan Crawford, Pauline Frederick, Neil Hamilton

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Joan Crawford	...	Valentine 'Val' Winters
Pauline Frederick	...	Diane 'Di' Winters
Neil Hamilton	...	Robert 'Bob' Blake Jr.
Monroe Owsley	...	Tony Girard
Hobart Bosworth	...	Mr. Robert Blake Sr.
Emma Dunn	...	Mrs. Margaret Blake
Albert Conti	...	André de Graignon
Adrienne D'Ambricourt	...	Marie, the Housekeeper
Marcelle Corday	...	Alyce, the Maid
Rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Marjorie Rambeau	...	Diane 'Di' Winters (scenes deleted)

Storyline

Valentine Winters goes to Paris to meet the divorced mother she has never known. She becomes involved with dissipated Tony and when their car rolls over is saved by Harvard footballer Bob. When Bob brings his parents to meet her, Tony comes in drunk and Valentine's mother is revealed to have been for five years the mistress of wealthy Andre. Bob's parents leaves in disgust, but love conquers all.

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Plot Keywords:

mistress | deception | nightclub | party | rich snob | 

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Genres:

Drama

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Certificate:

Approved

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

29 August 1931 (USA)

Also Known As:

Girls Together

Box Office

Budget:

$354,162 (estimated)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM)

Technical Specs

Runtime:

68 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Sound System)

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Marjorie Rambeau fell ill during production and was replaced by Pauline Frederick.

User Reviews

Frederick shines in fast-paced drama laced with humor

There is considerable energy in this Joan Crawford vehicle, and it compares favorably with some of her other films of the period - it is much more engaging than Laughing Sinners, for example. A number of scenes are very short, and the story moves along briskly. Perhaps the biggest surprise is the performance of Pauline Frederick as Crawford's mother - she is believable and touching, and evokes great sympathy as a woman in a difficult situation. The settings, of course, are sumptuous in that art deco MGM style that is so appealing from the distance of more than 70 years. Also noteworthy is that although this is a drama, there is a fair amount of humor throughout. It is not one of the depressing, heavy-going melodramas typical of the period.