The Lady Refuses
About The Lady Refuses
Sir Gerald Courtney hires June, a poor young woman close to prostitution, to draw his son Russell away from the gold-digger Berthine. June and Sir Gerald fall in love, and Russell falls for June as well. Berthine's old lover, Nikolai Rabinoff, follows her to Russell's apartment and kills her. Russell will not name June as his alibi. She tells the police he spent the night in her rooms. Sir Gerald assumes the worst, then learns the night was innocent and sets out to find her.
Cast & crew
More about The Lady Refuses
George Archainbaud directed. Wallace Smith wrote the screenplay from a story by Guy Bolton and Robert Milton. William LeBaron and Bertram Millhauser produced. Jack Kitchin edited. RKO released it in the United States on March 8, 1931.
Themes
Background
Released in March 1931, before the Production Code was enforced, the picture puts a woman hired away from the street into a Mayfair household and then into a murder alibi.
Look
Leo Tover was the cinematographer.
Preservation
A complete print is in circulation.
Notes
- Betty Compson plays June. Margaret Livingston plays Berthine. Ivan Lebedeff plays Nikolai Rabinoff.
- The story is set in London and was shot as an American pre-Code picture at RKO.
- Leo Tover photographed it.
- The plot turns on June admitting that Russell spent the night in her apartment, which is enough to make Sir Gerald drop her until he learns nothing happened.
Scenes
- Nikolai Rabinoff follows Berthine to Russell's apartment and kills her.
- June tells the police Russell was with her, and Sir Gerald takes that as proof she has failed him.
Also available
- Internet Archive (TheLadyRefuses1931-03-08)
- Wikimedia Commons
