Norma Enters Society

Socialite Fay Cheyney (Norma Shearer) is hosting a charity event, during which both Lord Elton (Herbert Bunston) and Lord Arthur DIlling (Basil Rathbone) vie for her attentions. At the end of the evening, she is invited to the home of Mrs. Webley (Maude Turner Gordon), and eagerly accepts the invitation. Lord Dilling however, is puzzled. He thinks he remembers Mrs. Cheyney's butler, Charles (George Barraud), but NOT as a butler. Our film this week is the first version of The Last of Mrs. Cheyney (1929).

This is our contribution to the O Canada Blogathon, hosted by Ruth of Silver Screenings  and Kristina of Speakeasy.

It's always enjoyable to go back to the beginnings of sound films and see what the introduction of the voice did to the movies. In this case (as with many other movies of the time), MGM selected a reasonably successful play and made it into a movie. If you are more familiar with films from the mid-1930s forward, you will discover it is not what you are used to - it is very conversational, and at times static. The actors are clearly not able to move around very much (given the limitations of the microphone), but with two outstanding performances, it was a movie we all enjoyed.

This was Norma Shearer's second sound film (TCM article), and she seems comfortable with the new medium. She'd had good success in silent movies; with a pleasant speaking voice, and her delightful, sparkling laugh, she makes the transition to talkies seem almost easy. It helps that, in this film, she has someone to bounce off - Basil Rathbone, who is engaging as Fay's hopeful suitor. The story was originally purchased for the actress Florence Vidor (AFI Catalog), but that production never came about. 

Born in Montreal, Ms. Shearer tried to begin with a career on Broadway, but was turned down by Florenz Ziegfeld as not being pretty enough (Complicated Women: Sex and Power in Pre-Code Hollywood by Mick LaSalle).  She later got some revenge when she refused to star in The Great Ziegfeld (Stardust and Shadows: Canadians in Early Hollywood by Charles Foster). Extra work in films followed, though many thought her (again) not pretty enough for pictures (Canadian Heroines 2-Book Bundle: 100 Canadian Heroines / 100 More Canadian Heroines by Merna Forster).  A small role in The Stealers (1921) resulted in a contract with what would become MGM; by 1925, she was getting star billing, which she retained until her retirement in 1942. Though some tried to attribute her success to her happy, albeit short, marriage to Irving Thalberg, even he was not always right about her career. When he dismissed her request to play the lead in what would become The Divorcee (1930) with "you're not glamorous enough," she sent him sultry pictures (by George Hurrell) that proved her glamour (and gave her an Oscar to boot) (Made For Each Other: Fashion and the Academy Awards by Bronwyn Cosgrave). She would receive five more Oscar nominations. She lived quietly in retirement, eventually remarrying. She died in 1983 at the age of 81.

While Ms. Shearer started her career in films, Basil Rathbone began on the London and New York stages. He began working in 1911 and returned to the stage after serving in the London Scottish Regiment (along with Claude Rains, Herbert Marshall, and Ronald Colman) during the first World War. It was during the war he became the Army Fencing Champ, a skill that would serve him well in many of his films (though sadly, he always seemed to lose on film!). He did a few silent films, but (like his friend Ronald Colman), he had a voice made for the movies, and it serves him well in our film, as does his stage presence. One scene in particular comes to mind. As Lord Arthur enters a room, he is question by another man. Mr. Rathbone moves slowly towards a sofa; he demeanor showing thoughtfulness. He sits, and then, after a brief pause, answer the question. It's a clever bit of acting that gives us more information about the character, while answering to the needs of the hidden microphone. 

While we realized that the character of Lord Elton was important to the plot, as portrayed by Herbert Bunston he becomes a bore after about two scenes.  Mr. Bunston really overdoes it; he's so obviously stupid, one wonders why he keeps getting invited to dinner parties. Sure, he's rich, but he hasn't got a brain in his head! In contrast to Mr. Rathbone, his character becomes even more idiotic. Every time he opens his mouth, you want the floor to open up and swallow him.

Hedda Hopper (Lady Maria) has a small role as one of the society ladies who frequents the same parties as Fay. She doesn't really have a lot to do, but she is pleasing in the few scenes she is given. Likewise, George Barrault's scenes are infrequent, but pivotal to the action.

The movie is based on a play that opened on London and on Broadway in 1925; the Broadway production starred Ina Claire, Felix Aylmer, Roland Young, and Helen Hayes. We were intrigued that Roland Young (who played Lord Arthur on stage) was NOT involved with the film - he was under contract to MGM as well. 

The Last of Mrs. Cheyney was nominated for a writing award at the first Academy Awards. It got a decent review in the New York Times (Mordaunt Hall didn't like Herbert Bunston either).  It's been filmed three more times, in 1937 under the same title, with Joan Crawford, William Powell, and Robert Montgomery; as The Lady and the Law (1951) with Greer Garson, and in 1961 with Lilli Palmer in a German version. We'll be taking a look at the 1937 version next time we meet.

We'll leave you with the opening scene: 

This post is part of the O Canada Blogathon. Please consider visiting some of the other posts and learning more about our friends to the north.