Waterloo Bridge (1931)

A prostitute's self-loathing makes her reluctant to marry an idealistic soldier during World War I.

Director:

James Whale

Writers:

Robert E. Sherwood (from the stage play by), Benn W. Levy (adaptation) (as Benn Levy)

Stars:

Mae Clarke, Douglass Montgomery, Doris Lloyd

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Mae Clarke	...	Myra
Douglass Montgomery	...	Roy Cronin (as Kent Douglass)
Doris Lloyd	...	Kitty
Frederick Kerr	...	Major Wetherby
Enid Bennett	...	Mrs. Wetherby
Bette Davis	...	Janet Cronin
Ethel Griffies	...	Mrs. Hobley
Rita Carlyle	...	The Old Woman (as Rita Carlisle)
Ruth Handforth	...	Augusta - the Maid

Storyline

In World War I London, Myra is an American out of work chorus girl making ends meet by picking up men on Waterloo Bridge. During a Zeppelin air raid she meets Roy, a naive young American who enlisted in the Canadian army. They fall for each other, and he tricks Myra into visiting his family who live in a country estate outside London, where his step-father is a retired British Major. However Myra is reluctant to continue the relationship with Roy, because she has not told him about her past.

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Plot Keywords:

bridge | zeppelin | world war one | air raid | chorus girl | 

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Taglines:

As this picture unfolds on the screen, you will find no maudlin, mushy, run-of-the-mill story, but a triumph of human emotion depicting the glamour of an all-conquering love in the sordid surroundings of a great city. (Print Ad- The Castilian, ((Castile, NY)) 8 October 1931)

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Genres:

Drama | Romance

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Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

November 1931 (Japan)

Also Known As:

A Ponte de Waterloo

Filming Locations:

Pasadena, California, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$251,289 (estimated)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Universal Pictures

Technical Specs

Runtime:

81 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Sound System)

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.20 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

According to a 1985 interview with Greg Mank, Mae Clarke claims she was talked about for an Oscar nomination.

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Goofs

Myra says that, when The Pink Lady closed, she went into The Bing Boys. However, The Pink Lady closed in 1912, and The Bing Boys did not open until 1916.

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Quotes

Mrs. Wetherby: Bad luck, very well tried.

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Connections

Referenced in The Frankenstein Files: How Hollywood Made a Monster (2002)

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Soundtracks

God Save the King
Traditional; earliest known version by John Bull (1562-1628)
Sung at the music hall

User Reviews

this time Myra really does convince as a lady of pleasure

The version of 'Waterloo Bridge' from 1940, with Vivien Leigh and Robert Taylor, has always been a favourite, so I welcomed the chance to finally see the earlier take with Mae Clarke and Kent Douglass.

Similar in some ways to the remake, the 1931 version is a lot grittier and more direct. It is clear what Myra's job is right from the start, and Clarke looks the part. You never could really imagine Vivien Leigh street-walking.

As Roy the Canadian soldier home on leave, Kent Douglass is a little stiff and reserved, but he puts across well the desperation of a man in love, no matter what. It's an old story, but done well here.

Despite a few histrionics and a relatively short running time, this film is entertaining (an old woman loses potatoes in an air raid and won't move off the bridge without them), and poignant (Myra feels at home at last with Roy's country folks, but we know it won't last).

It can be found on the DVD set 'Forbidden Hollywood, volume 1'.