Waterloo Bridge (1931)

In World War I London, Myra is an American out of work chorus girl making ends meet by picking up men on Waterloo Bridge. During a Zeppelin air raid she meets Roy, a naive young American ... See full summary »

Director:

James Whale

Writers:

Robert E. Sherwood (from the stage play by), Benn W. Levy (adaptation),

Stars:

Mae Clarke, Douglass Montgomery, Doris Lloyd

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Mae Clarke	...	Myra Deauville
Douglass Montgomery	...	Roy Cronin (as Kent Douglass)
Doris Lloyd	...	Kitty
Frederick Kerr	...	Major Fred Wetherby
Enid Bennett	...	Mrs. Mary Cronin Wetherby
Bette Davis	...	Janet Cronin
Ethel Griffies	...	Mrs. Hobley, Landlady
Rita Carlyle	...	The Old Woman (as Rita Carlisle)
Ruth Handforth	...	Augusta, the Maid

Storyline

In World War I London, Myra is an American out of work chorus girl making ends meet by picking up men on Waterloo Bridge. During a Zeppelin air raid she meets Roy, a naive young American who enlisted in the Canadian army. They fall for each other, and he tricks Myra into visiting his family who live in a country estate outside London, where his step-father is a retired British Major. However Myra is reluctant to continue the relationship with Roy, because she has not told him about her past.

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Plot Keywords:

bridge | zeppelin | air raid | chorus girl | nipples visible through clothing | 

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Genres:

Drama | Romance | War

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Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

1 September 1931 (USA)

Also Known As:

A Ponte de Waterloo

Filming Locations:

Pasadena, California, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$251,289 (estimated)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Universal Pictures

Technical Specs

Runtime:

81 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Sound System)

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.20 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The original Broadway production of "Waterloo Bridge" by Robert E. Sherwood opened at the Fulton Theatre on January 6, 1930 and ran for 64 performances.

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Goofs

Although the film is set in 1918 the cast are wearing early-1930s fashions

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Quotes

Myra Deauville: Lovely night, huh?
Kitty: Lovely night for what? Air raids? Those fellows up there give me the willies.
Myra Deauville: Well, they're men, aren't they? I'd rather they throw bombs on me, than take no notice of me at all.
Kitty: I expect they do that just to please you, dearie.

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Connections

Version of A Ponte de Waterloo (1967)

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Soundtracks

"God Save the King"
Traditional; earliest known version by John Bull (1562-1628)
Sung at the music hall

User Reviews

this time Myra really does convince as a lady of pleasure

The version of 'Waterloo Bridge' from 1940, with Vivien Leigh and Robert Taylor, has always been a favourite, so I welcomed the chance to finally see the earlier take with Mae Clarke and Kent Douglass.

Similar in some ways to the remake, the 1931 version is a lot grittier and more direct. It is clear what Myra's job is right from the start, and Clarke looks the part. You never could really imagine Vivien Leigh street-walking.

As Roy the Canadian soldier home on leave, Kent Douglass is a little stiff and reserved, but he puts across well the desperation of a man in love, no matter what. It's an old story, but done well here.

Despite a few histrionics and a relatively short running time, this film is entertaining (an old woman loses potatoes in an air raid and won't move off the bridge without them), and poignant (Myra feels at home at last with Roy's country folks, but we know it won't last).

It can be found on the DVD set 'Forbidden Hollywood, volume 1'.