Our Blushing Brides
Encyclopedia
Our Blushing Brides is a 1930 drama film
starring Joan Crawford
, Robert Montgomery
, Anita Page
, and Dorothy Sebastian
. The film was a follow-up to Our Dancing Daughters
(1928) and Our Modern Maidens
(1929), and was a commercial success when it was released.
The two previous installments in the series were both silent film
s, while Our Blushing Brides had the novelty of being an early sound film
or "talkie" at a time when the phenomenon was relatively new. The fact that it featured talking was actually an advertising point mentioned on the movie poster
.
Our Blushing Brides was Crawford's thirty-first film (of eight-six total)
, but only her fourth sound film. Crawford plays Gerry, a shopgirl in love with the heir to a department store
where she works. With this film, MGM began to develop a more sophisticated image of Joan Crawford, rather than continuing to promote her flapper
girl persona of the silent era.
), son of the department store owner, and when he dumps her she kills herself
. Franky marries Marty (John Miljan
) without knowing he's a crook, but Gerry helps her out of this and Franky goes back to her mother's farm. Gerry has resisted Tony (Robert Montgomery
), elder son of the store owner, and sadly believes that virtue
will be her only reward, but things finally get better with Tony.
Throughout the story, Gerry is the sensible one, while the others throw themselves at amoral rich men in an attempt to hook one and better themselves. They end up being hurt and disappointed despite Gerry's attempts to warn them.
Drama film
A drama film is a film genre that depends mostly on in-depth development of realistic characters dealing with emotional themes. Dramatic themes such as alcoholism, drug addiction, infidelity, moral dilemmas, racial prejudice, religious intolerance, poverty, class divisions, violence against women...
starring Joan Crawford
Joan Crawford
Joan Crawford , born Lucille Fay LeSueur, was an American actress in film, television and theatre....
, Robert Montgomery
Robert Montgomery (actor)
Robert Montgomery was an American actor and director.- Early life :Montgomery was born Henry Montgomery, Jr. in Beacon, New York, then known as "Fishkill Landing", the son of Mary Weed and Henry Montgomery, Sr. His early childhood was one of privilege, since his father was president of the New...
, Anita Page
Anita Page
Anita Evelyn Pomares , better known as Anita Page, was a Salvadoran-American film actress who reached stardom in the last years of the silent film era. She became a highly popular young star, reportedly at one point receiving the most fan mail of anyone on the MGM lot...
, and Dorothy Sebastian
Dorothy Sebastian
Dorothy Sebastian was an American film and stage actress.-Early life and career:Sebastian was born and raised in Birmingham, Alabama. In her youth she hoped to be a dancer and later a film actress. Her family frowned on both ambitions, however, so she fled to New York at the age of 15...
. The film was a follow-up to Our Dancing Daughters
Our Dancing Daughters
Our Dancing Daughters is a 1928 MGM silent drama film starring Joan Crawford and John Mack Brown , about the "loosening of youth morals" that took place during the 1920s. The film was directed by Harry Beaumont and produced by Hunt Stromberg...
(1928) and Our Modern Maidens
Our Modern Maidens
Our Modern Maidens is a 1929 silent film directed by Jack Conway. Starring Joan Crawford in her last silent film role, the film also stars Rod La Rocque, Douglas Fairbanks, Jr., and Anita Page. Our Modern Maidens is the second of three film where Crawford and Page appear together...
(1929), and was a commercial success when it was released.
The two previous installments in the series were both silent film
Silent film
A silent film is a film with no synchronized recorded sound, especially with no spoken dialogue. In silent films for entertainment the dialogue is transmitted through muted gestures, pantomime and title cards...
s, while Our Blushing Brides had the novelty of being an early sound film
Sound film
A sound film is a motion picture with synchronized sound, or sound technologically coupled to image, as opposed to a silent film. The first known public exhibition of projected sound films took place in Paris in 1900, but decades would pass before sound motion pictures were made commercially...
or "talkie" at a time when the phenomenon was relatively new. The fact that it featured talking was actually an advertising point mentioned on the movie poster
Movie poster
A movie poster is a poster used to advertise a film. Studios often print several posters that vary in size and content for various domestic and international markets. They normally contain an image with text. Today's posters often feature photographs of the main actors. Prior to the 1990s,...
.
Our Blushing Brides was Crawford's thirty-first film (of eight-six total)
Filmography of Joan Crawford
Joan Crawford acted in a large number of movies during the course of her career. They are listed here in their entirety, along with TV appearances and archival footage.- Silent Films:-Sound Features:-Miscellaneous:-Short films:-Archival Footage:...
, but only her fourth sound film. Crawford plays Gerry, a shopgirl in love with the heir to a department store
Department store
A department store is a retail establishment which satisfies a wide range of the consumer's personal and residential durable goods product needs; and at the same time offering the consumer a choice of multiple merchandise lines, at variable price points, in all product categories...
where she works. With this film, MGM began to develop a more sophisticated image of Joan Crawford, rather than continuing to promote her flapper
Flapper
Flapper in the 1920s was a term applied to a "new breed" of young Western women who wore short skirts, bobbed their hair, listened to jazz, and flaunted their disdain for what was then considered acceptable behavior...
girl persona of the silent era.
Plot
Fellow department store shopgirls and roommates Gerry (Crawford), Connie (Page) and Franky (Sebastian) take different paths in the big city, but all seek to marry themselves to wealthy men. Connie has an affair with David (Raymond HackettRaymond Hackett
Raymond Hackett was a stage and screen actor. He had been a child actor on the Broadway stage and was the brother of Albert Hackett. He was born in New York City the son of Maurice Hackett and Florence Hackett . His mother was later a silent screen actress. Hackett's first wife was Myra Hampton,...
), son of the department store owner, and when he dumps her she kills herself
Suicide
Suicide is the act of intentionally causing one's own death. Suicide is often committed out of despair or attributed to some underlying mental disorder, such as depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, alcoholism, or drug abuse...
. Franky marries Marty (John Miljan
John Miljan
John Miljan was an American actor of Serbian origin. He appeared in 201 films between 1924 and 1958.He died from cancer.-Selected filmography:* The Lone Chance * Silent Sanderson...
) without knowing he's a crook, but Gerry helps her out of this and Franky goes back to her mother's farm. Gerry has resisted Tony (Robert Montgomery
Robert Montgomery (actor)
Robert Montgomery was an American actor and director.- Early life :Montgomery was born Henry Montgomery, Jr. in Beacon, New York, then known as "Fishkill Landing", the son of Mary Weed and Henry Montgomery, Sr. His early childhood was one of privilege, since his father was president of the New...
), elder son of the store owner, and sadly believes that virtue
Virtue
Virtue is moral excellence. A virtue is a positive trait or quality subjectively deemed to be morally excellent and thus is valued as a foundation of principle and good moral being....
will be her only reward, but things finally get better with Tony.
Throughout the story, Gerry is the sensible one, while the others throw themselves at amoral rich men in an attempt to hook one and better themselves. They end up being hurt and disappointed despite Gerry's attempts to warn them.
Cast
- Joan CrawfordJoan CrawfordJoan Crawford , born Lucille Fay LeSueur, was an American actress in film, television and theatre....
as Geraldine "Gerry" March - Anita PageAnita PageAnita Evelyn Pomares , better known as Anita Page, was a Salvadoran-American film actress who reached stardom in the last years of the silent film era. She became a highly popular young star, reportedly at one point receiving the most fan mail of anyone on the MGM lot...
as Connie Blair - Dorothy SebastianDorothy SebastianDorothy Sebastian was an American film and stage actress.-Early life and career:Sebastian was born and raised in Birmingham, Alabama. In her youth she hoped to be a dancer and later a film actress. Her family frowned on both ambitions, however, so she fled to New York at the age of 15...
as Francine Daniels - Robert MontgomeryRobert Montgomery (actor)Robert Montgomery was an American actor and director.- Early life :Montgomery was born Henry Montgomery, Jr. in Beacon, New York, then known as "Fishkill Landing", the son of Mary Weed and Henry Montgomery, Sr. His early childhood was one of privilege, since his father was president of the New...
as Tony Jardine - Raymond HackettRaymond HackettRaymond Hackett was a stage and screen actor. He had been a child actor on the Broadway stage and was the brother of Albert Hackett. He was born in New York City the son of Maurice Hackett and Florence Hackett . His mother was later a silent screen actress. Hackett's first wife was Myra Hampton,...
as David Jardine - John MiljanJohn MiljanJohn Miljan was an American actor of Serbian origin. He appeared in 201 films between 1924 and 1958.He died from cancer.-Selected filmography:* The Lone Chance * Silent Sanderson...
as Martin W. "Marty" Sanderson - Hedda HopperHedda HopperHedda Hopper was an American actress and gossip columnist, whose long-running feud with friend turned arch-rival Louella Parsons became at least as notorious as many of Hopper's columns.-Early life:...
as Lansing Ross-Weaver - Albert Conti as Monsieur Pantoise
- Edward BrophyEdward BrophyEdward S. Brophy was an American character actor, voice artist, and comedian. Small of build, balding, and raucous-voiced, he was known for portraying gangsters, both serious and comic.-Career:...
as Joseph Munsey - Robert Emmett O'Connor as The Detective
- Martha SleeperMartha SleeperMartha Sleeper was a silent film comedienne of the 1920s and Broadway actress of the 1940s.-Family:Martha Sleeper reputedly spent her first years on a sheep ranch in Wyoming. Her father, William B. Sleeper, was an official of the Keith-Albee-Orpheum vaudeville circuit in New York City...
as Evelyn Woodforth - Gwen LeeGwen LeeGwen Lee was an American film actress from Hastings, Nebraska. Her given name was Gwendolyn Lepinski.-Acting career:...
as Miss Dardinelle - Mary Doran as Eloise
- Catherine Moylan as Mannequin
- Norma Drew as Mannequin
- Claire DoddClaire DoddClaire Dodd was an American film actress.Born as Dorothy Anne Dodd in Baxter, Iowa, Dodd was born to Walter W. Dodd, a farmer and veterinarian, and Ethel V. Cool Dodd, the daughter of Baxter Postmaster Peter J. Cool. As Dorothy Dodd, she attended school in Baxter...
as Mannequin - Wilda Mansfield as Mannequin