Indiscreet (1931)

A young woman jeopardizes the relationship with the man she loves when a no-account from her past shows up.

Director:

Leo McCarey

Writers:

Buddy G. DeSylva (story "Obey That Impulse"), Lew Brown (story "Obey That Impulse")

Stars:

Gloria Swanson, Ben Lyon, Monroe Owsley

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Gloria Swanson	...	Geraldine 'Gerry' Trent
Ben Lyon	...	Tony Blake
Monroe Owsley	...	Jim Woodward
Barbara Kent	...	Joan Trent
Arthur Lake	...	Buster Collins
Maude Eburne	...	Aunt Kate
Henry Kolker	...	Mr. Woodward
Nella Walker	...	Mrs. Woodward

Storyline

On New Year's Eve, Geraldine ('Jerry') Trent decides to break up with her boyfriend Jim Woodward, having finally grown tired of his dishonesty and his infidelities. Soon afterward, Geraldine meets and falls in love with novelist Anthony Blake. Blake knows that she has had a man in her past, but he is content as long as he never finds out who it was. All seems well until her sister Joan returns from a trip, and happily introduces Woodward as the new man in her life.

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Plot Keywords:

sister | novelist | new year's eve | break up | ex lover | 

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Taglines:

Through one indiscretion--a woman with a future became a woman with a past

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Genres:

Comedy | Drama | Musical | Romance

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Certificate:

Passed

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

16 May 1931 (USA)

Also Known As:

Careless Heart

Filming Locations:

United Artists Studios - 7200 Santa Monica Boulevard, West Hollywood, California, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Joseph M. Schenck Productions, Feature Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

92 min 73 min (re-release)

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.20 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Contains an early audio jump cut: Gerry Trent in New York says, "Four-fifteen here. Let's see. Over there it must be ...", which cuts to Jim Woodward aboard ship, saying, "Nine-fifteen - we're away on time."

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Quotes

Jim Woodward: Besides...I didn't think you noticed it.
Geraldine Trent: I tried not to--for some time.
Jim Woodward: Oh, ho--after all, my dear: a man must live!
Geraldine Trent: I've often wondered why it was necessary in some cases.

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Connections

Referenced in Hollywood Hist-o-Rama: Gloria Swanson (1961)

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Soundtracks

If You Haven't Got Love
(uncredited)
Music by Ray Henderson
Lyrics by Buddy G. DeSylva and Lew Brown
Performed by Gloria Swanson
Played during the opening credits and as background music

User Reviews

"Too much 'all that'"

Of all the many silent era stars, most of them female, whose careers would fizzle out in the sound era, the finest of them all was Gloria Swanson. A consummate actress since the late 1910s with a seemingly effortless ability to express vast amounts without stepping out of the bounds of realism, her skill and versatility were initially enough to secure her lead roles in the earliest talkies. Indiscreet is however among her last pictures before going into a retirement of sorts.

The movie is a romantic musical scripted by Buddy de Silva and directed by Leo McCarey, and is very much a product of its "pre-code" time. Just as the Marx Brothers comedies of this era had plots loosely thrown together for the sake of laughs, Indiscreet has a plot loosely thrown together for the sake of cheeky innuendo. One gets the impression that de Silva was a fan of rather crude sexual humour, and would been downright crass if he'd been allowed, the jokes are dressed up in such a sophisticated wit it seems almost admirable. Director McCarey had spent the silent era making slapstick shorts, and this is the earliest feature I have seen of his, but he seems to have adapted well, utilizing the long takes and relaxed camera that stood him in good stead for silent comedy. His gradual angle changes for the first musical number, "If You Haven't Got Love", eventually moving round to have Swanson facing the camera, are a nice way of subtly building up the song. It's a far cry from the ostentatious musical direction that would start to appear a few years later, but it fits the needs of these small, intimate numbers, and hints towards his incredibly light touch for 1944 Oscar-winner Going My Way.

And Miss Swanson's tuneful voice is a pleasant surprise, especially since few ex-silent stars could properly enunciate their lines, let alone sing. Her style seems entirely undaunted by the switch to sound. Still, she remains primarily a performer of visual expression, and Indiscreet provides us with some classic Swanson moments – a devilish flick of her eyes here, a sarcastic glance there. We also get to see some of the best examples of her comedic talents, such as her indignant attempt to butter crackers during the dinner party scene. This also comes as a surprise, since although Swanson started out at comedy studio Keystone she hated her tenure there, and never showed the sense of humour she does here. The other cast members of Indiscreet are certainly adequate, but none of them really stands out, with the exception of supporting player Arthur Lake who is rather good fun to watch. But even he remains a mere satellite around Swanson's star.

So, Indiscreet begs the question: If Swanson is so good here, and seems so smooth in her adaptation to sound, why did she stop making movies, barring one or two sporadic appearances before her spectacular comeback for Sunset Boulevard? It was probably at least partly because roles then tended to dry up for leading ladies once they were a few years into their thirties, and I doubt Swanson would have enjoyed living out her career playing matrons and mothers. And besides, it seems Swanson was by this point getting a little bored of Hollywood and movie life, and probably had in her more than a little of Norma Desmond's contempt for the talkies. But whatever her reasons, as Indiscreet shows, her departure was cinema's loss.