Coquette

About the production

This was Mary Pickford's first sound film, a risky transition for the silent film superstar who had built her career playing innocent young girls. The production faced significant technical challenges as early sound recording equipment was cumbersome and limited camera movement. Pickford, who was also a producer through her Pickford Corporation, insisted on extensive rehearsals before filming to ensure perfect dialogue delivery. The film was shot using the Movietone sound-on-film system rather than Vitaphone, which was still in development. The Southern setting was recreated on studio backlots and locations in California, as location shooting with sound equipment was nearly impossible in 1929.

Themes

Themes & topics

Historical background

Made in 1929, in United States, under Sam Taylor, Coquette belongs to drama film filmmaking amid the silent era's rapid stylistic experiments. Coquette is a 1929 American pre-Code drama film directed by Sam Taylor and starring Mary Pickford, who won the second Academy Award for Best Actress for her performance.

Why this film matters

Within drama film history, Sam Taylor's name attaches to the work; surviving prints help researchers study silent-era craft; 1929 film by Sam Taylor.

Making of

The making of 'Coquette' represented a crucial turning point in Hollywood's transition to sound. Mary Pickford, powerful figures in silent cinema, approached this project with both excitement and trepidation. The production required extensive soundproofing of studio sets, with cameras housed in bulky booths to prevent motor noise from being picked up by the microphones. Pickford, who had never spoken on screen before, took voice lessons for months and demanded multiple takes to perfect her delivery. The famous scene where she cuts her hair was actually done on camera, with Pickford making the decision to cut her signature curls as part of her character's transformation. Director Sam Taylor, who had worked with Pickford on several silent films, struggled with the technical limitations of early sound recording but managed to create some surprisingly intimate moments despite the equipment constraints. The courtroom scenes were particularly challenging to film, as the actors had to remain relatively still to stay within microphone range while still delivering emotionally charged performances.

What critics said

Coquette is a 1929 American pre-Code drama film directed by Sam Taylor and starring Mary Pickford, who won the second Academy Award for Best Actress for her performance.

Did you know?

• Mary Pickford won the Academy Award for Best Actress for this performance, making her one of the few actresses to win for a role that was initially panned by critics.
• Marked a dramatic departure for Pickford, who had built her career playing innocent young girls and was known as 'America's Sweetheart.' Here she played a sophisticated, sexually aware woman.
• Based on a 1927 Broadway play by Martin Flavin, which starred Helen Hayes in the lead role.
• Johnny Mack Brown, a former All-American football player, was cast against type as the romantic lead. He would later become famous as a Western star.
• Pickford famously cut her famous curls into a bob for this role, which was considered shocking to her fans and symbolized her transition from child star to adult actress.
• The film's success helped establish United Artists as a major player in the sound era, as Pickford was one of the studio's co-founders.
• Despite its box office success, Pickford considered this film one of her lesser works and rarely spoke about it in later years.
• The original Broadway production ran for 173 performances and was considered quite risqué for its time.
• Pickford's husband Douglas Fairbanks was reportedly uncomfortable with her kissing scenes in the film.
• The film's sound recording was so primitive that the orchestra had to be recorded separately and then synchronized with the actors' performances.

Awards & recognition

• Academy Award for Best Actress (Mary Pickford)
• Photoplay Medal of Honor

Visual style

The cinematography by Charles Rosher and Karl Struss represents a fascinating hybrid of silent and early sound techniques. The camera work is more static than in late silent films due to the technical limitations of early sound recording, but the visual composition remains sophisticated. The filmmakers used lighting to create dramatic shadows that enhance the film's emotional intensity, particularly in the romantic scenes between Pickford and Brown. The Southern setting is rendered through carefully composed shots that evoke a sense of place despite being filmed on California backlots. The courtroom scenes use deep focus to capture the entire dramatic space, a technique that would become more common in the 1930s. The film's visual style successfully bridges the gap between the expressive cinematography of the late silent era and the more naturalistic approach that would dominate sound cinema.

Innovations

The film's primary technical achievement was its successful implementation of early sound recording technology. The production used the Movietone sound-on-film system, which offered better synchronization than the competing Vitaphone process. The filmmakers developed innovative solutions to common sound problems of the era, including the use of hidden microphones and creative camera placement to maintain visual interest while staying within recording range. The film also demonstrated early experiments with post-production dubbing, as some scenes were re-recorded to improve audio quality. The successful integration of music, dialogue, and sound effects in a dramatic context was considered for its time. The film's technical crew also developed new methods for reducing echo in large sets, a problem that plagued many early sound productions.

Music

The film's musical score was composed by Cecil Copping and performed by a full orchestra recorded using the Movietone system. As was common in early talkies, the music served both as underscoring and as scene-setting diegetic music. The score incorporates Southern folk melodies and popular songs of the era to establish the film's regional setting. The recording quality is typical of 1929, with noticeable hiss and limited frequency range, but the music remains clear and expressive. The film also uses source music strategically, particularly in scenes depicting social gatherings, to enhance the period atmosphere. The soundtrack represents an important example of how Hollywood adapted traditional film scoring techniques to the new demands of synchronized sound.

Famous quotes

I'm not a child anymore, Father. I'm a woman who knows her own mind.

Love doesn't ask about bank accounts or family trees.

In the South, some things are more important than the truth.

You can't build happiness on someone else's misery.

Memorable scenes

• The scene where Norma defiantly cuts her signature curls, symbolizing her transformation from girl to woman and her rejection of societal expectations.
• The clandestine meeting between Norma and Michael by the river, where their forbidden romance blossoms against the backdrop of Southern moonlight.
• The explosive confrontation between Dr. Besant and Michael, leading to the tragic shooting that changes everyone's lives forever.
• The climactic courtroom scene where Norma must choose between protecting her father and revealing the truth about her relationship.

What audiences thought

Audiences flocked to see 'Coquette' out of curiosity to hear their beloved Mary Pickford speak for the first time. The film was a box office success, grossing over $1.4 million domestically, a substantial sum for 1929. However, many of Pickford's longtime fans were reportedly shocked by her mature performance and the film's relatively serious tone. The scene where she cuts her famous curls caused particular consternation among her traditional fan base. Despite these reactions, the film's commercial success proved that audiences would accept their silent idols in talking pictures, provided the material was compelling. The film's themes of romantic rebellion and class conflict resonated with young audiences during this period of social change, even if older viewers found the story somewhat scandalous.

Film connections

Influenced by

• The Broadway play 'Coquette' by Martin Flavin
• Southern Gothic literature
• Victorian melodrama
• Early social problem films

This film influenced

• Other early sound dramas
• Films about class conflict in America
• Southern-themed melodramas of the 1930s

Film restoration

Preserved in the Library of Congress and has been restored by the UCLA Film and Television Archive. A complete 35mm print exists in excellent condition, and the film has been released on DVD and Blu-ray with restored audio. The preservation work has significantly improved the sound quality from the original release, making the dialogue much clearer than in earlier home video versions.

Where to watch

• The Criterion Channel
• Warner Archive Collection (DVD/Blu-ray)
• Kino Lorber (Blu-ray)
• Various streaming platforms specializing in classic films
• Film archives and museums that screen classic cinema