Déclassée : Plot, Cast, Preservation Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Déclassée

1925 film

April 12, 1925 (1925-04-12) (United States)

Running time

80 mins.CountryUnited StatesLanguageSilent (English intertitles)

Déclassée, listed as Déclassé on some posters, is a 1925 American silent drama film of manners produced and released by First National Pictures in association with Corinne Griffith as executive producer. Griffith also stars in the production which was directed by Robert G. Vignola and based on the 1919 play by Zoë Akins that starred Ethel Barrymore.^[1]^[2]

A young and unknown Clark Gable made an uncredited appearance.^[3]

The film was remade as an early talkie in 1929 titled Her Private Life starring Billie Dove.

Plot

As described in a film magazine review,^[4] Lady Helen, married to a brute, finds in Ned Thayer's companionship the one spark of joy in her life. Ned is accused of cheating at cards and Lady Helen forces her husband to apologize. Ned is forced by his sister-in-law to help her cheat under the threat to show Sir Bruce the letter in which Lady Helen avows her love for Ted. Lady Helen sees the card cheating and forces Ned to apologize to her husband. The letter is given to Sir Bruce, who then divorces his wife. Through the resulting scandal, Helen becomes déclassé in London society, and drifts to New York City, where the wealthy Rudolph Solomon pursues her to become his mistress. When she is about to succumb, being at the end of her resources, at the last moment she throws herself under an automobile. Ned Thayer, having returned, rescues her and the promise comes of their union.

Cast

Corinne Griffith as Lady Helen Haden
Lloyd Hughes as Ned Thayer
Clive Brook as Rudolph Solomon
Rockliffe Fellowes as Sir Bruce Haden
Lilyan Tashman as Mrs. Leslie
Hedda Hopper as Lady Wildering
Bertram Johns as Sir Emmett Wildering
Gale Henry as Timmins
Louise Fazenda as Mrs. Walton
Eddie Lyons as Mr. Walton
Mario Carillo as Hotel Manager
Paul Weigel as Henri
Clark Gable as Extra (uncredited)

Preservation

A print of this film resides in the British Film Institute National Archive with a trailer surviving at the Library of Congress.^[5]^[1]

References

^ ^a ^b Progressive Silent Film List: Déclassée at silentera.com
^ Déclassee as produced on Broadway, at the Empire theatre, October 6, 1919 – May 1920; IBDb.com
^ John Douglas Eames, The MGM story, Crown Publishers, 1988, p. 18
^ "New Pictures: Déclassée", Exhibitors Herald, 21 (4): 64–65, April 18, 1925, retrieved January 21, 2022 This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
^ The Library of Congress American Silent Feature Film Survival Catalog: Declassee