Snobbish attorney Charles 'Beauty' Steele loses his wife due to his drinking and his heirs at the same time that his brother-in-law absconds with funds belonging to one of Steele's clients. ... Read allSnobbish attorney Charles 'Beauty' Steele loses his wife due to his drinking and his heirs at the same time that his brother-in-law absconds with funds belonging to one of Steele's clients. In search of the thief, Steele is attacked and left for dead. He is rescued by a kind coup... Read allSnobbish attorney Charles 'Beauty' Steele loses his wife due to his drinking and his heirs at the same time that his brother-in-law absconds with funds belonging to one of Steele's clients. In search of the thief, Steele is attacked and left for dead. He is rescued by a kind couple, but suffers from amnesia. He starts life afresh and is happy, until the return of his ... Read all
- Director
- Writers
- Stars
- The Cure
- (as George Pearce)
- The Siegneur
- (as Holliwell Hobbes)
- Rouge's Henchman
- (uncredited)
- Villager
- (uncredited)
- The Judge
- (uncredited)
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- Writers
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Featured reviews
The dialog and some of things in here are so dated, so sappy and so overly-melodramatic with the lead character, played by Conrad Nagel, that it's almost laughable. What lawyer interrupts his closing speech to pick up a hankie from a woman in the audience, and then whisper something, kiss her hand and leave the courtroom? The guys nickname is "Beauty," and he sure is that! I wonder if audiences in the early '30s actually took this character and dialog seriously....or were they enamored to have "talkies."
Well, at least Loretta looked super, and sounded like a normal person but how many could people today watch this and stick around long enough to see her? She doesn't appear until almost a half hour, which is almost half the movie!
What disagreeable people all these Canadians are! Nagel offers some of his worst acting in this very slightly expanded stage play that sat on the shelf for at least six months, because Warner Brothers didn't think it worthwhile to release this piece of cheese that Frank Lloyd turned out for them. Even Snitz Edwards, in his antepenultimate screen appearance, offers nothing to please the audience.
Except for a naturalistic Young, the acting is outrageously bad, intensely melodramatic, with many lines said with tremulous voices. As is often the case in the early days of sound, the actors weren't used to the medium yet so their timing is off. And the French Canadian accents - horrific. I can't agree with one of the posters about Conrad Nagel - yes, he was over the top, but so was his atrocious dialogue. He at least didn't drag the pace.
Not good.
Did you know
- TriviaCompleted in 1930, and reviewed in Photoplay Magazine August 1930 (on the newstands in July), release was delayed until February 1931.
- GoofsIn the opening intro card, the contraction "it's" is used twice where it should have been spelled "its" both times.
- Quotes
Charley 'Beauty' Steele: I'm very grateful for your invitation, Kathleen, even though shadows should never be invited. And, I am a shadow! Am I not? That has fallen across the serene sunshine of your life.
Kathleen: A very beautiful speech. You're undoubtedly drunk again.
Charley 'Beauty' Steele: No, on the contrary, I'm quite sober. But, I don't blame you for not recognizing it. You so seldom see me in that condition.
Kathleen: I so seldom see you in any condition. And I'd prefer not to talk about that.
Charley 'Beauty' Steele: That's very generous and Christian of you, my dear.
- ConnectionsRemake of The Right of Way (1915)
- SoundtracksNocturne No. 2 in E-Flat Minor, Op. 9 No.2
(1830-1) (uncredited)
Written by Frédéric Chopin
Played on piano by Olive Tell
Details
- Runtime1 hour 8 minutes
- Color