The Letter (1929)

Jeanne Eagels plays the bored and restless Leslie Crosbie who turns to another man, Geoffrey Hammond (Herbert Marshall) for attention when neglected by her husband Robert (Reginald Owen). ... See full summary »

Director:

Jean de Limur

Writer:

W. Somerset Maugham (stage play)

Stars:

Jeanne Eagels, Reginald Owen, Herbert Marshall

Nominated for 1 Oscar. Another 1 win.

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Jeanne Eagels	...	Leslie Crosbie
Reginald Owen	...	Robert Crosbie
Herbert Marshall	...	Geoffrey Hammond
Irene Browne	...	Mrs. Joyce (as Irene Brown)
O.P. Heggie	...	Howard Joyce
Lady Tsen Mei	...	Li-Ti
Tamaki Yoshiwara	...	Ong Chi Seng

Storyline

Jeanne Eagels plays the bored and restless Leslie Crosbie who turns to another man, Geoffrey Hammond (Herbert Marshall) for attention when neglected by her husband Robert (Reginald Owen). Robert decides to go out for the evening to pick up a new rifle. Leslie's calm vanishes as she awaits an answer to a letter she has written Hammond. He has found a new love - a beautiful unscrupulous native woman Li Ti (Lady Tsei Mei) and has discarded Leslie.

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Plot Keywords:

male female relationship | dysfunctional marriage | adulterous wife | unfaithful wife | perjury | 

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Taglines:

The fatal letter that cost the life of her lover, her own happiness and that of another. (Print Ad- Victoria Advocate,((Victoria, Texas)) 14 May 1929)

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Genres:

Drama

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Certificate:

Passed

Did You Know?

Trivia

The original Broadway production of "The Letter" by W. Somerset Maugham opened at the Morosco Theater on September 26, 1927 and ran for 104 performances.

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Quotes

Geoffrey Hammond: I have no patience with you. You're enough to drive anyone out of his senses. You can do what you like.

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Connections

Remade as The Letter (1940)

User Reviews

Cries out for a restoration!

"The Letter" is an absolutely fascinating early talkie. The only surviving talkie made by the legendary stage actress, Jeanne Eagels (whose skill as a Broadway stage actress was obvious in the delivery of her lines - particularly the final scene, which I found mesmerizing) cries out for a restoration! The print of the film I viewed had a very poor visual quality (although I could always discern the action), but became all the more tantalizing - this film probably looked great in 1929, and would still look wonderful in a refurbished print. For a very early "talkie", I was very surprised at how natural and "unstodgy" the dialogue is (and the soundtrack was remarkably clear and strong, with even a little bit of profanity, which I'm sure it raised a few eyebrows in 1929!) It is very unfortunate that Eagels' other talkie "Jealousy" is now lost, and all the more reason that "The Letter" (being the only sound document of this legendary actress) should have a wider distribution. I hope someone some day will spearhead such an undertaking.

A 2011 update: I recently acquired the DVD release of "The Letter" from Warner Archives. It is a revelation - an amazingly good print, particularly considering it is mastered from what is apparently the sole surviving 35mm print. Some segments lack musical background, but the dialogue is intact, and the visuals are far better than I expected (or hoped for!). Congratulations and many thanks to Warner Archives for finally making this treasure available!

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

7 September 1929 (Argentina)

Also Known As:

The Letter

Filming Locations:

Kaufman Astoria Studios - 3412 36th Street, Astoria, Queens, New York City, New York, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Paramount Pictures

Technical Specs

Runtime:

65 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Sound System)

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.20 : 1