Kind Lady (1935)

Mary Herries is a rich woman with a habit of contributing to those less fortunate than her. On her way home from a concert on Christmas Eve she discovers a poor, would-be artist outside her... See full summary »

Director:

George B. Seitz

Writers:

Edward Chodorov (play), Bernard Schubert,

Stars:

Aline MacMahon, Basil Rathbone, Mary Carlisle

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Aline MacMahon	...	Mary Herries
Basil Rathbone	...	Henry Abbott
Mary Carlisle	...	Phyllis
Frank Albertson	...	Peter Santard
Dudley Digges	...	Mr. Edwards
Doris Lloyd	...	Mrs. Lucy Weston
Nola Luxford	...	Rose, Mary's Maid
Murray Kinnell	...	Doctor
Eily Malyon	...	Mrs. Edwards
Justine Chase	...	Ada Abbott
Barbara Shields	...	Aggie Edwards
Donald Meek	...	Mr. Foster
Frank Reicher	...	Gustave Roubet (as Frank Reigher)

Storyline

Mary Herries is a rich woman with a habit of contributing to those less fortunate than her. On her way home from a concert on Christmas Eve she discovers a poor, would-be artist outside her estate. Mary takes pity on this artist, Henry Abbott, and gives him some food and money. After taking him in, she finds herself somewhat attracted to this artist; he is handsome, and quite knowledgeable of fine art, especially the paintings in Mary's extensive collection. However, when she discovers that Henry has both a wife and a small child that he is struggling to support, she gives him some money and hand-me downs, and sends him on his way. A few days later he shows up with some of his own paintings (which are absolutely awful) as well as some items he stole from Mary's house on Christmas Eve. Henry demands a large amount of money for his paintings, which Mary eventually pays. She then discovers that Henry has left his wife and baby outside, in the rain. His wife collapses and Mary, out of ...

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Plot Keywords:

artist | christmas eve | art collection | london england | deception | 

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Genres:

Thriller | Drama

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Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

6 December 1935 (USA)

Also Known As:

House of Menace

Company Credits

Production Co:

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM)

Technical Specs

Runtime:

76 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Sound System)

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Doris Lloyd, who plays a friend of the "Kind Lady" in this version, played the maid in the 1951 remake.

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Connections

Version of ITV Play of the Week: Kind Lady (1960)

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Soundtracks

"The Duchess Has a Twinkle in Her Eye"
Music by Bronislau Kaper and Walter Jurmann
Lyrics by Ned Washington
Sung a cappella by a group of the cast

User Reviews

Almost the exact same movie as the 1951 remake

This is a great example of an original film and its remake being nearly identical. Perhaps the remake is a tiny bit better, but they are just so close that if you've seen one, there's no reason to see both.

Both are extremely frightening movies--more so than many "horror films" because the terror is more believable and threatening. It all starts when a nice rich lady helps out a supposedly nice guy down on his luck (Basil Rathbone). Soon, Rathbone's entire family is living in the woman's home and the doctor advises the sick wife and baby stay there until they are able to be moved. However, after a few days, it becomes apparent that they are NOT ill and the family is milking the woman's kindness for all its worth. When she tries to throw them out, the family refuses and have replaced the servants with a band of thieves who terrorize and bleed the woman of her money! It's all very tough to watch, as the people are so evil and cruel and you really get pulled into her nightmare. However, for lovers of suspense films, it's an excellent picture. Just be warned that it is pretty intense stuff--definitely not a film for the kids!