Lights of Old Broadway (1925)

Lights of Old Broadway (1925) is a drama film directed by Monta Bell, produced by William Randolph Hearst's Cosmopolitan Productions, and released by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. The film stars ... See full summary »

Director:

Monta Bell

Writers:

Laurence Eyre (play), Joseph Farnham (titles)

Stars:

Marion Davies, Conrad Nagel, Frank Currier

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Marion Davies	...	Fely / Anne
Conrad Nagel	...	Dirk de Rhonde
Frank Currier	...	Lambert de Rhonde
George K. Arthur	...	Andy
Charles McHugh	...	Shamus O'Tandy
Eleanor Lawson	...	Mrs. O'Tandy
Julia Swayne Gordon	...	Mrs. de Rhonde
Matthew Betz	...	'Red' Hawkins
Wilbur Higby	...	Fowler
Bodil Rosing	...	Widow Gorman
George Bunny	...	Tony Pastor
George Harris	...	Joe Weber
Bernard Berger	...	Lew Fields
J. Frank Glendon	...	Thomas A. Edison (as Frank Glendon)
Buck Black	...	Young Teddy Roosevelt

Storyline

Lights of Old Broadway (1925) is a drama film directed by Monta Bell, produced by William Randolph Hearst's Cosmopolitan Productions, and released by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. The film stars Marion Davies and Conrad Nagel, and is an adaptation of the play The Merry Wives of Gotham by Laurence Eyre (USA). The film has color sequences using tinting, Technicolor, and the Handschiegl color process. The play was produced on Broadway at Henry Miller's Theatre from January 16, 1924 to April 1924. Davies' part was played on the stage by actress Mary Ellis.

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Plot Keywords:

twins | based on play | 

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Taglines:

A great picture of the days when Broadway was a lover's lane! (Print Ad- Evening News, ((Tonawanda, NY)) 4 January 1927)

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Genres:

Drama | Romance

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Did You Know?

Trivia

Lights of Old Broadway (1925) was screened at the San Francisco Silent Film Festival in 2019 and included the two 2-strip Technicolor sequences.

User Reviews

The Great Marion Davies

THE LIGHTS OF OLD Broadway stars the great Marion Davies in a dual role. She plays a set of twins separated at birth. One becomes Anne, a society girl in New York; the other is Fely, an Irish toughie who somehow lands on the musical stage. She meets the suave Dirk (Conrad Nagel) who is Anne's half brother. Anne's family also owns the slum in which the Irish families live.

As with Davies' terrific LITTLE OLD NEW YORK, this story is also set against an historical background, involving the story of the coming of electricity to the city. So along with show biz figures like Tony Pastor, Weber and Fields, etc we also see Teddy Roosevelt and Thomas Edison. Anne's family has a lot of money in gas, but somehow Fely's father has stock in electricity. The snooty family tries to keep Nagel away from the low-born Fely.

Davies is terrific playing the blonde Fely (she does a few stage numbers) and the dark-haired Anne. Davies make a solid comic entrance as Fely (minus a tooth) balancing herself on a stack of tables and chairs and defying the mob the city kids.

Nagel is fine as the hero. Both Karl Dane and George K. Arthur show up in small parts.

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

November 1925 (USA)

Also Known As:

Merry Wives of Gotham

Filming Locations:

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios - 10202 W. Washington Blvd., Culver City, California, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Cosmopolitan Productions, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM)

Technical Specs

Sound Mix:

Silent

Color:

Color (2-strip Technicolor) (two sequences) Color (Handschiegel Color) (one shot) Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1