Manhandled (1924)

Gloria Swanson plays Tessie McGuire, a shopgirl who, when her boyfriend breaks their date one evening, goes to a party with a louche crowd of artists and hangers-on. She wows them with some... See full summary »

Director:

Allan Dwan

Writers:

Frank Tuttle (scenario) (as Frank W. Tuttle), Sidney R. Kent (story)

Stars:

Gloria Swanson, Tom Moore, Lilyan Tashman

Cast

Cast overview:
Gloria Swanson	...	Tessie McGuire
Tom Moore	...	Jim Hogan
Lilyan Tashman	...	Pinkie Moran
Ian Keith	...	Robert Brandt
Arthur Housman	...	Chip Thorndyke
Paul McAllister	...	Paul Garretson
Frank Morgan	...	Arno Riccardi
Pierre Collosse	...	Bippo (as M. Collosse)
Marie Shelton	...	Model
Carrie Scott	...	Boarding House Keeper
Ann Pennington	...	Ann Pennington
Brooke Johns	...	Brooke Johns
Frank Allworth	...	Salesman

Storyline

Gloria Swanson plays Tessie McGuire, a shopgirl who, when her boyfriend breaks their date one evening, goes to a party with a louche crowd of artists and hangers-on. She wows them with some zesty mimicry, and so gains an introduction to a better-paying job, impersonating a high-toned Russian countess to attract snobby customers into a dressmaker's establishment.

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Plot Keywords:

society | 

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Taglines:

What a story! What a star! Gloria at both ends of the fashion ladder. "Manhandled" has it all! Climbing the false social ladder to success, swamped with silks and furs, MANHANDLED, only to find in the end that honesty, even in love, is the best policy.(Print Ad,The Monroe Journal,((Monroe, NC)) 17 February 1925)

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Genres:

Drama | Comedy

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Certificate:

Passed

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

22 July 1924 (USA)

Also Known As:

Manhandled

Filming Locations:

Paramount Studios, Astoria, Queens, New York City, New York, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Paramount Pictures

Technical Specs

Sound Mix:

Silent

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Gloria Swanson had never held down a customer service job, or any form of employment outside of acting, so she spent two days at Gimbel's Department Store in New York working as a sales clerk to prepare for her role as Tessie. While there, she managed to successfully remain disguised beneath a blonde wig. She got competitive enough to try and out-sell her co-workers, none of whom recognized her.

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Connections

Referenced in The Beverly Hillbillies: The Gloria Swanson Story (1966)

User Reviews

Swanson shows what it takes to be a star!

As one reviewer noted, the high spots are not evenly dispersed within the film. Also, my copy is also abridged, which probably accounts for the lack of transitions between many scenes. However, the seller seems to have had access to a fairly clear print. For me, the subway scene by itself was worth buying the tape. Swanson had a real gift for comedy, as seen in her varied expressions as she is shoved, loses her hat, and has to edge her way both onto and out of the subway car. Undoubtedly, the director deliberately chose tall or burly men for the scene, since they contrast so sharply with Swanson's diminutive stature. I happen to have viewed this film only a coupole of weeks after having seen Sadie Thompson. In my review of that film, I noted that she managed to infuse even the shady character of Sadie with some humor. The plot of Manhandled is, of course, much weaker, and it is difficult to remember any of the other performances. Swanson was a true star, one who could shine even in the midst of a mediocre plot, as she does here. If we think of "Bette Davis eyes", we can also think of the "Gloria Swanson facial expression" that she could vary to meet a diversity of emotions. As one who knew her first from Sunset Boulevard, it is interesting to note in her silent films, the anticipation of her performance there, with its wide range of emotions required from the star. When Norma Desmond laments the loss of faces in sound film, Swanson must ruefully have her own experience in mind. Without her, the stale plot of Manhandled would have gone the way of all B-flicks. That's what a star does.