Glad Rag Doll is a 1929 American sound part-talkie pre-Code drama film directed by Michael Curtiz, and starring Dolores Costello, Ralph Graves, and Audrey Ferris. In addition to sequences with audible dialogue or talking sequences, the film features a synchronized musical score and sound effects, along with English intertitles. The soundtrack was recorded using the Vitaphone sound-on-disc system. This is one of many lost films of the 1920s, no prints or Vitaphone discs survive, but the trailer survives.[2][3][4] The film's working title was Alimony Annie, but was changed match the title of the theme song. The theme song is entitled Glad Rag Doll both played and sung throughout the soundtrack.[5]
| Glad Rag Doll | |
|---|---|
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| Directed by | Michael Curtiz |
| Screenplay by | C. Graham Baker (& titles) |
| Story by | Harvey Gates |
| Starring | Dolores Costello Ralph Graves |
| Cinematography | Byron Haskin |
| Music by | Milton Ager Jack Yellen Dan Dougherty Cecil Copping (uncredited) |
Production company | |
| Distributed by | Warner Bros. |
Release date |
|
Running time | 70 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Languages | Sound (Part-Talkie) English Intertitles |
| Budget | $143,000[1] |
| Box office | $1,010,000[1] |
Synopsis
editJimmy Fairchild, the younger son of an upper-class Philadelphia family, is besotted with Annabel Lee who is starring in a Broadway revue. His older brother John is outraged and arranges to have her fired from the show. Using compromising letters written by Jimmy she blackmails her way into their house. Despite their initial antagonism she and John fall in love.
Cast
edit- Dolores Costello as Annabel Lee
- Ralph Graves as John Fairchild
- Audrey Ferris as Bertha Fairchild
- Albert Gran as Nathan Fairchild
- Maude Turner Gordon as Aunt Fairchild
- Tom Ricketts as Admiral
- Claude Gillingwater as Sam Underlane
- Arthur Rankin as Jimmy Fairchild
- Dale Fuller as Miss Peabody
- Douglas Gerrard as Butler
- George Beranger as Barry, an actor
- Lee Moran as Press Agent
- Tom Kennedy as Manager
- Louise Beavers as Hannah
Music
editThe film featured a theme song entitled "Glad Rag Doll" with words by Jack Yellen and music by Milton Ager and Dan Dougherty.
Reception
editAccording to Warner Bros records the film earned $735,000 domestically and $275,000 foreign.[1] This was a major financial success, was very profitable having been produced at a cost of $143,000.[5]
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ a b c Warner Bros financial information in The William Schaefer Ledger. See Appendix 1, Historical Journal of Film, Radio and Television, (1995) 15:sup1, 1-31 p 7 DOI: 10.1080/01439689508604551
- ^ The American Film Institute Catalog: 1921-30 by The American Film Institute c. 1971
- ^ The AFI Catalog of Feature Films:Glad Rag Doll
- ^ Glad Rag Doll at Arne Andersen's Lost Film Files: Warner Brothers Pictures Archived December 20, 2014, at the Wayback Machine
- ^ a b Rode p.105
Bibliography
edit- Rode, Alan K. Michael Curtiz: A Life in Film. University Press of Kentucky, 2017.
External links
edit
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