Ladies of Leisure
About Ladies of Leisure
Jerry Strong, a railroad heir who wants to paint, meets party girl Kay Arnold on a country drive and hires her to model for a canvas called Hope. He wipes off her makeup. His father, John Strong, finds out what Kay has been and orders Jerry to drop her for his fiancée, Claire. Jerry refuses and is cut off. His mother talks Kay into giving him up. Kay agrees to leave for Havana with Bill Standish, then tries to drown herself. Jerry finds her in the hospital.
Cast & crew
More about Ladies of Leisure
Frank Capra directed. Jo Swerling wrote the screenplay from Milton Herbert Gropper's 1924 play Ladies of the Evening, which ran 159 performances on Broadway. Harry Cohn produced with Capra. Joseph Walker photographed it. Mischa Bakaleinikoff is the credited composer. Columbia released it on 5 April 1930.
Themes
Look
Joseph Walker photographed Stanwyck's modeling sessions and the hospital ending.
Music
Mischa Bakaleinikoff is the credited composer.
Preservation
A copy is on Wikimedia Commons.
Notes
- Barbara Stanwyck plays Kay. Ralph Graves plays Jerry. Lowell Sherman plays Bill Standish. Marie Prevost plays Dot Lamar.
- George Fawcett and Nance O'Neil play Jerry's parents. Juliette Compton plays Claire.
- The picture drew no Academy nominations. Capra and Cohn wrote to the Academy about the omission, and Capra later sat on the board of governors.
- A copy is on Wikimedia Commons.
Scenes
- Jerry wipes Kay's makeup off before he paints her.
- After she goes into the water, he waits at the hospital bed.
Influenced by
- Milton Herbert Gropper's Ladies of the Evening
Also available
- Wikimedia Commons (Ladies of Leisure)
