Lawyer Elsie

Scarlet Pages (1930) opens as a baby is being taken in by an adoption agency. The mother, whose name is revealed by the forms she signed, has relinquished all rights to her child. Years later, we meet the mother, Mary Bancroft (Elsie Ferguson), now a successful lawyer with political ambitions. She is romantically involved with district attorney John Remington (John Halliday), who, though Mary loves, she has refused to marry. Their lives are complicated when Mary takes the case of accused murderer Nora Mason (Marion Nixon). Nora has murdered her father, an act she acknowledges, but for which she refuses to give a reason, and John will be prosecuting the case.

Scarlet Pages is a surprisingly enjoyable film. That Nora is Mary's daughter is no surprise; from the moment she appears, the viewer is pretty sure that eventually the two will discover they are related. But the getting there is a real pleasure; the story moves along at a good pace, and the reveal at the end of the film is an amazingly impressive one. Given that this is sound film in its infancy, the movie has an abundance of competent actors and a nicely related story. It's also impressive that it is a film about a professional woman, who worked her way up in her career, probably starting before women could even vote in the U.S.

Elsie Ferguson spent most of her career on the stage, both in New York and London. Considered one of the great beauties of her time (TCM article), she appeared in a total of 29 Broadway plays between 1901 and 1944. One of those plays was Scarlet Pages, which ran for two months 1929. Of the 25 films in which she appeared, only Scarlet Pages and The Witness for the Defense (1919) survive. Our film is the only sound film in which Ms. Ferguson appeared. She appeared in one final Broadway play after Scarlet Pages, 1943's Outrageous Fortune.  After that, she retired with her husband to their farm in Connecticut (with trips to another home in Cap d'Antibes). Ms. Ferguson died at the age of 78. Though she was no youngster at this point in her career, her poise and dignity serve her well in Scarlet Pages; her final scenes in the courtroom are exceptionally done.

John Halliday is also excellent in his role as Mary's closest friend and most vehement opponent in the courtroom. Halliday gives the character both dignity and deep affection. His respect for Mary, both as a person and as someone he loves dearly, is apparent. We were especially impressed that at no time does John suggest Mary quit her profession to become his wife alone - a far cry from Herbert Marshall in The Flame Within!

The other male part (a small but important role) is played by Grant Withers, as Nora's fiance, Bob Lawrence. Mr. Withers had a long career, though he is probably best known as Loretta Young's first husband. The pair eloped, and the marriage was annulled almost immediately. Best remembered as Ike Clanton in My Darling Clementine (1946), Mr. Withers frequently appeared in films with his friend, John Wayne. He segued over to television in the 1950s, appearing in shows such as Lassie and Perry Mason. In intense pain, and in failing health, he died of an overdose of barbiturates in 1959.

In their review, the New York Times proved to be underwhelmed by the film, though they reserved some praise for Ms. Ferguson (a "modern Portia") and for Ms. Nixon.  We think this is a film worth visiting, and recommend it highly.