Our Modern Maidens
About Our Modern Maidens
Heiress Billie Brown (Joan Crawford) is engaged to Gil Jordan (Douglas Fairbanks Jr.), who wants a diplomatic post. She goes to senior diplomat Glenn Abbott (Rod La Rocque) to hurry the appointment, and the two are drawn to each other. Gil, meanwhile, gets Billie's houseguest Kentucky Strafford (Anita Page) pregnant and falls in love with her, but he marries Billie anyway. When Billie learns about the pregnancy the marriage is annulled. Billie pairs with Glenn, and Gil with Kentucky.
Cast & crew
More about Our Modern Maidens
Jack Conway directed. Josephine Lovett wrote the story and screenplay. Marian Ainslee and Ruth Cummings wrote titles. Hunt Stromberg produced, without a screen credit. Oliver T. Marsh photographed it. There is no spoken dialogue. MGM released it on 24 August 1929 with a synchronized score and effects, on disc and on film. The published box office splits as $675,000 in the United States and Canada and $182,000 elsewhere, with a profit of $248,000. It is Crawford's last role without dialogue.
Themes
Background
Released in August 1929, while MGM was still issuing synchronized silents beside the first talkies. The story is a flapper quadrangle, not a backstage musical.
Making
MGM shot it as a silent and added music and effects for theaters that had sound. Conway and Stromberg kept the dialogue off the track. Crawford's next pictures spoke.
Audiences
The ledger figures show a profit of $248,000 on a cost of $283,000. Chicago limited it to adult tickets.
Look
Oliver T. Marsh photographed the MGM feature. The release print carries music and effects but no spoken lines.
Music
William Axt is credited with the music. The theme is "I've Waited a Lifetime for You," by Joe Goodwin and Gus Edwards. The track is synchronized. Nobody speaks.
Notes
- Crawford and Fairbanks Jr. play the engaged couple. They were married that year, on 3 June 1929.
- Glenn Abbott is nicknamed Dynamite.
- Josephine Dunn plays Ginger, Edward Nugent plays Reg, and Albert Gran plays B. Bickering Brown.
- The Chicago Board of Censors passed it with a pink ticket, adults only.
- The theme song is "I've Waited a Lifetime for You," words by Joe Goodwin and music by Gus Edwards.
Scenes
- Billie asks Abbott to speed Gil's posting and stays.
- Gil marries Billie after Kentucky is already pregnant.
- The marriage is annulled and the four people change partners.
