Lucretia Lombard (1923) User Reviews

Norma's Star Quality is on Display!!

[kidboots · 7/10 · 27 May 2015]

It had another title and Robert E. Sherwood of "Life" magazine explained ""Lucretia Lombard" has an alternative title "Flaming Passion" and is used in those districts were passion is popular"!!. Passion was very popular with Kathleen Norris who was the most widely read and the highest paid American woman writer from 1911 to 1959 and specialized in novels with plenty of romantic complications. Lucretia Lombard (Irene Rich) pays the price for marrying for wealth and a title - she has been shackled for years to a tyrannical husband (Marc McDermott) whose dissipated younger life has left him a drug addicted wreck. Always the perfect wife, "Remember" she remarks to a disgruntled butler "we can get away from him but he can't get away from himself"!!

Across the road are the Winships and when Lombard dies of a drug overdose, D.A. Stephen Winship is called in when suspicion is thrown on Lucretia. Lombard is a thoroughly nasty piece of work, not only does he switch pill box lids so the poisonous painkillers can be mistaken for the mild aspirins, he sets the scene when young Fred Winship comes to take Lucretia to a charity ball by indicating that she would be only too happy to get rid of him. Norma Shearer has the part of Mimi, Judge Winship's (Alec B. Francis) petted ward. She wasn't the star, in fact her name was down the bottom of the cast but she had charisma and star quality that made you remember her - in fact Variety called her "the find of the cast"!!

Somehow Lucretia's problems are ironed out pretty quickly but Stephen has his own problems - he has somehow become engaged to Mimi and has no idea how it happened!! The judge and his wife are over the moon about it as it has always been Mimi's dream and Stephen finds himself swept along with the enthusiasm. Fred can't be left out of this turgid tale - he has gambling debts and confesses all to Lucretia who in her effort to shield Stephen consents to go with Fred into town to raise the money!! But wait!! - Stephen has seen them together, thinks there is no hope for him as far as Lucretia goes and when she returns to tell him of the real reason of her flight with Fred, Stephen has news of his own - he is now married to Mimi!! Yes, that's right - there had been a hunting accident and thinking the judge may not live long, consents to marry Mimi so the old fellow can die happy!!

Of course all this can't be allowed to continue and it paves the way for a spectacular climax, combining an immense forest fire and the bursting of a dam!! Norma pulls all this emoting off with aplomb and in the most natural acting style. She even convinces that she is in love with the stodgy Monte Blue who must be at least 20 years older than she, but it seems to come off as hero worship!!

Blue, Blue, My Love is Blue

[boblipton · 5/10 · 14 December 2017]

Irene Rich is married to Marc McDermott. He's old, he's irascible, he's dying, and he's angry that Irene is being escorted to the charity ball by John Roche from across the street. So he switches his sleeping pills for the aspirin and insists she gives him too many so when he dies, she'll be in trouble. What a joke! Fortunately, John's brother, Monte Blue, has just been made a judge, so he gets the investigation quashed.

Monte gets engaged to Norma Shearer (credited as "Norma Sherer"); Monte and Irene fall in love thanks, we are told by vast swaths of titles, to the irresistible force of fate; Monte and Miss Sherer are married an everyone goes off to escort Monte's father to the hospital, leaving the two competitors for Blue alone in the same house because.... well, that seems like a good idea, doesn't it?

It's the sort of story I am not overly fond of, but director Jack Conway does his usual stalwart best with it, with a melodramatic ending involving a fire, wolves and a flood. Unfortunately, while Miss Rich seems well cast, Norma Shearer is still learning her craft, and exhibits her "Ain't I cute?" tricks at full blast, causing me to want to shoot her. Mr. Blue is stuck in the middle with many a reaction shot, in which, I believe, he is supposed to look pensive. Instead, he looks like a rather doughy elder brother of Harry Langdon, thinking about the situation and not coming to any conclusion.

Fortunately, this movie did not seem to hurt anyone's career. Mr. Blue went on to work with Lubitsch in some sparkling comedies at Warners, while Conway, Shearer, and producer Harry Rapf fled to the newly formed Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, where they all did very well by themselves and the studio.

Young Norma Shearer acts up a storm

[AndyWood-1973 · 8/10 · 20 November 2019]

"Lucretia Lombard" (1923) is a fine early movie for Norma Shearer, who has equal screen time with the actual star, Irene Rich, and bags of charisma to go with it, despite fifth billing.

Based on the 1922 novel by Kathleen Norris - perhaps the most widely read and highest paid female American author between 1911 and 1959 - "Lucretia Lombard" is a tale of romance and all its complications.

The young, titular Lucretia (Irene Rich) has spent several years in a unhappy marriage with the old, tyrannical Sir Allen Lombard (Marc McDermott). The filthy rich old cad has become a hopeless, crippled drug addict whose days are all but numbered, due to his dissipated past.

Lucretia has remained loyal and faithful to him but sadly remarks to their butler (Otto Hoffman): "Remember - we can get away from him but he can't get away from himself"!!

Old man Lombard decides to commit suicide but the spiteful old swine is not satisfied with carrying out the deed without planning a way by which he can pin the blame on Lucretia, in order to ruin her life.

A charity ball is being held locally and Lucretia plans to attend with young Fred Winship (John Roche) who lives with his family in the house across the road.

Lombard puts his plans to action by behaving as if he were jealous in front of Winship and indicating that his wife would be only too happy to get rid of him.

Meanwhile, after the couple leave for the ball, Lombard switches dangerous amounts of his sleeping powders with his aspirin and awaits his oblivious wife's return.

The Winship family are a likeable lot. Fred's older brother, District Attorney Stephen (Monte Blue) is persued by ultra-cute young Mimi (Norma) whom is the petted ward of his father, Reverend Samuel Winship (Alec B. Francis). She has grown up in their care and always been spoiled. She knows what she wants and when she wants it. And she wants Stephen!

Like Lucretia, Mimi is also bound for the charity ball and is to be escorted by the Reverend and his wife (Lucy Beaumont) but with the help of some delightful flirtation, she persuades reluctant Stephen to join her too.

After a swell evening out, everyone returns home and Lucretia goes to her husband's bedside to see if he needs anything. He tells her that he needs some aspirin powders which she innocently mixes for him - unaware that they are strong sleeping powders. He then requests sleeping powders and again she obliges.

The overdose quickly takes effect and distraught Lucretia quickly finds herself as a murder suspect after telling the police that she had been tired and obviously made a mistake - something that the courts don't look highly upon according to the Detective on the case.

Young Fred Winship - who has a crush on Lucretia - begs his D.A. brother, Stephen, to help clear up the mess.

Stephen manages to use his position to get the devastated young woman off the hook and in the process, the two of them fall deeply in love.

Stephen attributes it to fate - an idea he has picked up from a book he is currently reading which explains how true lovers may wander around the bend from eachother for years but that one day, fate will step in and bring them together.

Of course, flirty young love-struck Mimi is blissfully unaware of all of this and in a hilarious scene on the love seat, manages to become engaged to a confused Stephen without him uttering a word!

His delighted parents overhear the "engagement" and Reverend Winship insists that he be the one to carry out their imminent marriage ceremony.

Whilst all this is taking place, it transpires that young Fred Winship is being hounded by debtors and is overheard by a concerned Lucretia whilst speaking pleadingly to one particularly unhappy customer on the phone.

Fearing for the damage this could cause for the reputation of his brother Stephen, whom has only recently been appointed D.A, Lucretia confronts him and the two speak quietly and confidentially as he explains his gambling debts and the desperate situation they have landed him in.

She agrees to slip away to the city with him to help raise funds to pay what he owes and Fred gratefully agrees.

Unfortunately, Stephen has seen them together, both acting guarded and he begins to think that any hope of love blossoming between he and Lucretia is unlikely. His fears of such a fate appear to be sealed when he finds out from his mother that Lucretia and Frank have gone away together.

Spring passes by and the Winships retreat to their summer home, Red Pine Lodge. Whilst Stephen still secretly wallows in his despair, cheerful Mimi is out hunting with her shotgun - carefree and bubbling with joy.

She hears a rustle in the undergrowth and fires her gun toward it but is horrified when Reverend Winship staggers out of the bushes clutching his wounded stomach!

The family gather around his sick bed, believing him to be close to death. The old Reverend raises up slightly and makes a touching request - that he be given the honour of conducting the marriage ceremony between Stephen and Mimi before he dies.

Stephen is inwardly reluctant but is by now resigned to the fact that Lucretia is not in love with him and so he agrees.

The marriage is carried out from the sickbed before it is decided that Reverend Winship be transferred to a city hospital after his condition unexpectedly begins to improve.

When Lucretia and Fred return with the true facts about why they had been away, Lucretia proclaims her love to Stephen and tells him that now the matter of Fred's gambling debts have been cleared up, she and Stephen can now finally be together.

The devastated Stephen announces that he is now married to Mimi but the newly reunited couple are soon in each others arms despite this.

Mimi catches them in the act and an array of emotions rush through her body. Anger, sorrow, understanding, bewilderment and even greater anger and bitterness.

Stephen's mother calls her son and his new wife into the parlour to see off the old man who is now ready to leave for hospital.

Unaware of what has just transpired - heightened by the fact that the married couple are putting on a front for those present - Mrs Winship requests that they all go along to take her husband to hospital whilst Mimi and Lucretia stay together at the summer house and look after eachother.

Through gritted teeth, Mimi waves them off but tensions are high once the girls are left alone. She makes clear her hatred for Lucretia although Lucretia takes an altogether different attitude and vows to never see Stephen again, thus leaving he and Mimi to live together happily.

Mimi has no desire to remain his wife in the knowledge that he will forever have Lucretia Lombard in his heart and mind.

Fate yet again steps in during the night when a disastrous storm hits the region and floods and fire begin ripping through the countryside.

Bravely, Lucretia rescues her love rival from the house and tries to help her to safety.

Authorities nearby inform the family of the disaster and Stephen rushes back to see if he can rescue the girls.

The dam collapses and the terrified girls are swept into ferocious waters but Stephen arrives in time to drag them safely to land.

Although Lucretia is unharmed, Mimi is in a bad way. As Stephen takes her in his arms, she calmly consents that he and Lucretia spend a happy life together, for that is what fate has decreed. As the understanding is reached, she dies in his arms and a new chapter opens up for Stephen Winship and Lucretia Lombard who have truly been brought together by fate - just as Stephen's book had foretold.

This film is highly entertaining with fine performances from the whole cast.

Norma is quite exceptional in her final film before signing to MGM. Her acting talents are already a benchmark from which other actresses could be measured.

Her playful flirtations with Monte Blue are very charming and her little gestures and facial expressions are sure to bring a smile. And yet, the emotions that she later puts over to the viewer upon discovering that her husband loves someone else are very powerful for someone so early in their acting career.

"Variety" named Norma "the find of the cast" and it's not hard to see why.

Norman Shearer dumped for Irene Rich

[Sean_M_ · 7 August 2010]

This movie is an early outing by Jack Conway, before he directed such movies as "Brown of Harvard", "The Smart Set", or "Our Modern Maidens". The movie begins with an illustration of Lucretia Lombard's life--a woman (Irene Rich) married to a cockeyed, disabled old man (Marc McDermott). Her only satisfaction is to be seen in public with the foolhardy young son of Reverend Winship (Alec B. Francis), Fred (John Roche). Next we are introduced to the glamorous, elfin ward of the reverend, Mimi, played by a hypnotic, young Norma Shearer. The elder son Steve (Monte Blue), is the apple of Norma Shearer's eye. After a night of partying with Fred, Mrs. Lombard returns home too worn-out to notice her husband has switched the cover of his sleeping pills with that of some aspirin. As a consequence, Mrs. Lombard gives her husband a lethal dose of opiates, so out of despair she calls Fred. Fred asks Steve, in the midst of being wooed by Mimi, for help. Fortunately Steve is the district attorney and arrives in time to prevent Lucretia from incriminating herself to the authorities. However, this chance encounter sparks an undying flame of love in Steve for Mrs. Lombard, that only grows stronger as time goes by. Through some implausible plot twists it becomes clear to Mimi that her man is a louse. I can't tell you what happens next, as that is the slam-bang end of the movie. What I can tell you is that if I were in Monte Blue's shoes I would have not picked Irene Rich over Norma Shearer (who made the movie a watchable 6.0 for me)!