The Battle of the Sexes (1928 film)
Encyclopedia
The Battle of the Sexes (1928) is a film directed by D. W. Griffith
, starring Jean Hersholt
, Phyllis Haver
, Belle Bennett
, Don Alvarado
and Sally O'Neil
, and released by United Artists
. The film was a remake by Griffith of an earlier film he directed in 1914
, which starred Lillian Gish
. Both films are based on the short story "The Single Standard" by Daniel Carson Goodman
; the story was adapted for this production by Gerrit J. Lloyd.
The film was released as both a silent film
, and in a sound version
using the Movietone
sound-on-film system. In 2004, the film was released on DVD by Image Entertainment
. The theme song of the motion picture, "Just a Sweetheart", by Dave Dryer, Josef Pasternack
and Nathaniel Shilkret
(recorded versions of which are available, for example, on a commercially issued Paul Whiteman
CD) was omitted from the DVD.
) is a gold digger with her hooks out for devoted middle-aged family man J.C. Hudson (Jean Hersholt
), a portly real estate tycoon, who falls for her when she contrives to meet him. When his wife (Belle Bennett
) and grown children, Ruth (Sally O'Neil
) and Billy (William Bakewell
) discover him dancing with Marie at a nightclub, J.C. leaves home the next day. Ruth seeks out Marie to shoot her, but is interrupted by Marie's boyfriend, jazz hound Babe Winsor (Don Alvarado
), who takes a shine to her. When Judson walks in on them he condemns her licentiousness, but is forced to face his double standard when he witnesses a violent argument between Marie and Babe. Full of contrition, J.C. returns to home and hearth and the bosom of his loving family.
D. W. Griffith
David Llewelyn Wark Griffith was a premier pioneering American film director. He is best known as the director of the controversial and groundbreaking 1915 film The Birth of a Nation and the subsequent film Intolerance .Griffith's film The Birth of a Nation made pioneering use of advanced camera...
, starring Jean Hersholt
Jean Hersholt
Jean Pierre Hersholt was a Danish-born actor who lived in the United States, where he was a leading film and radio talent, best known for his 17 years starring on radio in Dr. Christian and for playing Shirley Temple's grandfather in Heidi...
, Phyllis Haver
Phyllis Haver
Phyllis Haver was an American actress of the silent film era.-Early life:She was born Phyllis Haver in Douglass, Kansas. When she was young, her family moved to Los Angeles, California, then a city of less than half a million people. Haver attended Los Angeles Polytechnic High...
, Belle Bennett
Belle Bennett
Belle Bennett was a stage and screen actress who started her professional career in vaudeville. She was born in Milaca, Minnesota.-Stage actress:...
, Don Alvarado
Don Alvarado
Don Alvarado was an American actor, assistant film director, and film production manager.-Life and career:Born as José Paige in Albuquerque, New Mexico...
and Sally O'Neil
Sally O'Neil
Sally O'Neil was an American film actress of the 1920s. She was born as Virginia Louise Noonan, one of 11 children born to a judge in Bayonne, New Jersey. One of her sisters was actress Molly O'Day....
, and released by United Artists
United Artists
United Artists Corporation is an American film studio. The original studio of that name was founded in 1919 by D. W. Griffith, Charles Chaplin, Mary Pickford and Douglas Fairbanks....
. The film was a remake by Griffith of an earlier film he directed in 1914
The Battle of the Sexes (1914 film)
The Battle of the Sexes is a 1914 drama film directed by D. W. Griffith for the Majestic Motion Picture Company. The full 50-minute feature is now considered a lost film, as no complete prints of the film are known to exist. However, a two-minute fragment, once belonging to Reliance-Majestic head...
, which starred Lillian Gish
Lillian Gish
Lillian Diana Gish was an American stage, screen and television actress whose film acting career spanned 75 years, from 1912 to 1987....
. Both films are based on the short story "The Single Standard" by Daniel Carson Goodman
Daniel Carson Goodman
Daniel Carson Goodman was an American screenwriter, who wrote the storyline for 28 silent films – the first of them was Sapho . He worked as miscellaneous crew in three films, produced two films and directed one film, Thoughtless Women .He was engaged to marry the actress Florence La Badie...
; the story was adapted for this production by Gerrit J. Lloyd.
The film was released as both a silent film
Silent film
A silent film is a film with no synchronized recorded sound, especially with no spoken dialogue. In silent films for entertainment the dialogue is transmitted through muted gestures, pantomime and title cards...
, and in a sound version
Sound film
A sound film is a motion picture with synchronized sound, or sound technologically coupled to image, as opposed to a silent film. The first known public exhibition of projected sound films took place in Paris in 1900, but decades would pass before sound motion pictures were made commercially...
using the Movietone
Movietone sound system
The Movietone sound system is a sound-on-film method of recording sound for motion pictures that guarantees synchronization between sound and picture. It achieves this by recording the sound as a variable-density optical track on the same strip of film that records the pictures...
sound-on-film system. In 2004, the film was released on DVD by Image Entertainment
Image Entertainment
Image Entertainment, Inc. is an independent licensee, producer and distributor of home entertainment programming and film & television productions in North America, with approximately 3,000 exclusive DVD titles and approximately 250 exclusive CD titles in domestic release, and approximately 450...
. The theme song of the motion picture, "Just a Sweetheart", by Dave Dryer, Josef Pasternack
Josef Pasternack
Josef Alexander Pasternack was a well-known conductor and composer in the first half of the 20th century.-Biography:...
and Nathaniel Shilkret
Nathaniel Shilkret
Nathaniel Shilkret was an American composer, conductor, clarinetist, pianist, business executive, and music director born in New York City, New York to an Austrian immigrant family.-Early career:...
(recorded versions of which are available, for example, on a commercially issued Paul Whiteman
Paul Whiteman
Paul Samuel Whiteman was an American bandleader and orchestral director.Leader of the most popular dance bands in the United States during the 1920s, Whiteman's recordings were immensely successful, and press notices often referred to him as the "King of Jazz"...
CD) was omitted from the DVD.
Plot
Marie Skinner (Phyllis HaverPhyllis Haver
Phyllis Haver was an American actress of the silent film era.-Early life:She was born Phyllis Haver in Douglass, Kansas. When she was young, her family moved to Los Angeles, California, then a city of less than half a million people. Haver attended Los Angeles Polytechnic High...
) is a gold digger with her hooks out for devoted middle-aged family man J.C. Hudson (Jean Hersholt
Jean Hersholt
Jean Pierre Hersholt was a Danish-born actor who lived in the United States, where he was a leading film and radio talent, best known for his 17 years starring on radio in Dr. Christian and for playing Shirley Temple's grandfather in Heidi...
), a portly real estate tycoon, who falls for her when she contrives to meet him. When his wife (Belle Bennett
Belle Bennett
Belle Bennett was a stage and screen actress who started her professional career in vaudeville. She was born in Milaca, Minnesota.-Stage actress:...
) and grown children, Ruth (Sally O'Neil
Sally O'Neil
Sally O'Neil was an American film actress of the 1920s. She was born as Virginia Louise Noonan, one of 11 children born to a judge in Bayonne, New Jersey. One of her sisters was actress Molly O'Day....
) and Billy (William Bakewell
William Bakewell
William Bakewell , also known as Billy Bakewell, was an American actor, who achieved his greatest fame as one of the premiere juvenile performers of the late 1920s and early 1930s.-Life and career:...
) discover him dancing with Marie at a nightclub, J.C. leaves home the next day. Ruth seeks out Marie to shoot her, but is interrupted by Marie's boyfriend, jazz hound Babe Winsor (Don Alvarado
Don Alvarado
Don Alvarado was an American actor, assistant film director, and film production manager.-Life and career:Born as José Paige in Albuquerque, New Mexico...
), who takes a shine to her. When Judson walks in on them he condemns her licentiousness, but is forced to face his double standard when he witnesses a violent argument between Marie and Babe. Full of contrition, J.C. returns to home and hearth and the bosom of his loving family.
Cast
- Jean HersholtJean HersholtJean Pierre Hersholt was a Danish-born actor who lived in the United States, where he was a leading film and radio talent, best known for his 17 years starring on radio in Dr. Christian and for playing Shirley Temple's grandfather in Heidi...
as William Judson, the Father - Phyllis HaverPhyllis HaverPhyllis Haver was an American actress of the silent film era.-Early life:She was born Phyllis Haver in Douglass, Kansas. When she was young, her family moved to Los Angeles, California, then a city of less than half a million people. Haver attended Los Angeles Polytechnic High...
as Marie Skinner - Belle BennettBelle BennettBelle Bennett was a stage and screen actress who started her professional career in vaudeville. She was born in Milaca, Minnesota.-Stage actress:...
as Mrs. Judson, the Mother - Sally O'NeilSally O'NeilSally O'Neil was an American film actress of the 1920s. She was born as Virginia Louise Noonan, one of 11 children born to a judge in Bayonne, New Jersey. One of her sisters was actress Molly O'Day....
as Ruth Judson, the Daughter - Don AlvaradoDon AlvaradoDon Alvarado was an American actor, assistant film director, and film production manager.-Life and career:Born as José Paige in Albuquerque, New Mexico...
as Babe Winsor - William BakewellWilliam BakewellWilliam Bakewell , also known as Billy Bakewell, was an American actor, who achieved his greatest fame as one of the premiere juvenile performers of the late 1920s and early 1930s.-Life and career:...
as Billy Judson, the Son - John Batten as A friend of the Judsons
External links
- The Battle of the Sexes (1928) at Silent Era
- review in the New York Times