The Vagabond Lover
Encyclopedia
The Vagabond Lover is a 1929 American black-and-white
, comedy-drama
musical film
about a small-town boy who finds fame and romance when he joins a dance band. The film is directed by Marshall Neilan
, and is based on the novel
of the same name, written by James Ashmore Creelman
who also wrote the screenplay
for the film. The film premièred in the United States on November 24, 1929, and was released wide
on December 1 of the same year. A DVD
version was released on the March 29, 2005.
described the film positively: "[The] Classic romantic tale [The Vagabond Lover] is fun with Marie Dressler outstanding in her role as the wealthy eccentric."
Black-and-white
Black-and-white, often abbreviated B/W or B&W, is a term referring to a number of monochrome forms in visual arts.Black-and-white as a description is also something of a misnomer, for in addition to black and white, most of these media included varying shades of gray...
, comedy-drama
Comedy-drama
Comedy-drama is a genre of theatre, film and television programs which combines humorous and serious content.-Theatre:Traditional western theatre, beginning with the ancient Greeks, was divided into comedy and tragedy...
musical film
Musical film
The musical film is a film genre in which songs sung by the characters are interwoven into the narrative, sometimes accompanied by dancing. The songs usually advance the plot or develop the film's characters, though in some cases they serve merely as breaks in the storyline, often as elaborate...
about a small-town boy who finds fame and romance when he joins a dance band. The film is directed by Marshall Neilan
Marshall Neilan
Marshall Ambrose Neilan was an American motion picture actor, screenwriter, film director, and producer.-Early life:...
, and is based on the novel
Novel
A novel is a book of long narrative in literary prose. The genre has historical roots both in the fields of the medieval and early modern romance and in the tradition of the novella. The latter supplied the present generic term in the late 18th century....
of the same name, written by James Ashmore Creelman
James Ashmore Creelman
James Ashmore Creelman was an early Hollywood film writer.Born in the hometown of his mother, Creelman lived in New York City and Washington, D.C...
who also wrote the screenplay
Screenplay
A screenplay or script is a written work that is made especially for a film or television program. Screenplays can be original works or adaptations from existing pieces of writing. In them, the movement, actions, expression, and dialogues of the characters are also narrated...
for the film. The film premièred in the United States on November 24, 1929, and was released wide
Wide release
Wide release is a term in the American motion picture industry for a motion picture that is playing nationally . Specifically, a movie is considered to be in wide release when it is on 600 screens or more in the United States and Canada.In the US, films holding an NC-17 rating almost never have a...
on December 1 of the same year. A DVD
DVD
A DVD is an optical disc storage media format, invented and developed by Philips, Sony, Toshiba, and Panasonic in 1995. DVDs offer higher storage capacity than Compact Discs while having the same dimensions....
version was released on the March 29, 2005.
Cast
- Rudy ValleeRudy ValléeRudy Vallée was an American singer, actor, bandleader, and entertainer.-Early life:Born Hubert Prior Vallée in Island Pond, Vermont, the son of Charles Alphonse and Catherine Lynch Vallée...
as Rudy Bronson - Sally BlaneSally BlaneSally Blane was an American actress. Blane was the sister of actresses Polly Ann and Loretta Young, and half-sister to actress Georgiana Young, the wife of actor Ricardo Montalban...
as Jean Whitehall - Marie DresslerMarie DresslerMarie Dressler was a Canadian-American actress and Depression-era film star. She won the Academy Award for Best Actress in 1930-31 in Min and Bill.-Early life and stage career:...
as Mrs. Ethel Bertha Whitehall - Charles SellonCharles SellonCharles Sellon was an American stage and film actor. He appeared in 108 films and stage acts between 1901 and 1935. He was born in Boston, Massachusetts and died in La Crescenta, California. His grave is located in Valhalla Memorial Park Cemetery.-Selected filmography:-External links:...
as Officer George C. Tuttle - Norman Peck as Swiftie
- Danny O'Shea as Sam
- Edward J. NugentEdward J. NugentEdward Nugent was an American film actor. He appeared in 81 films between 1928 and 1937.He subsequently had a second acting career on Broadway. Brooklyn USA , the comedy Junior Miss , and See My Lawyer were some of his best roles...
as Sport (as Eddie Nugent) - Nella Walker as Mrs. Whittington Todhunter
- Malcolm WaiteMalcolm WaiteMalcom Waite , was an American film actor. He appeared in 31 films between 1924 and 1942.He was born in Memominee, Michigan and died in Van Nuys, California.-External links:...
as Ted Grant - Alan RoscoeAlan RoscoeAlan Roscoe was an American film actor of the silent era. He appeared in 108 films between 1915 and 1933. His interment was located in Glendale's Forest Lawn Memorial Park Cemetery.-Selected filmography:...
as Grant's Manager - The Connecticut Yankees as Musical Ensemble
Soundtrack
- "I Love You, Believe Me, I Love You"
- Music by Ruby Cowan and Phil BouteljePhil BouteljePhil Boutelje was an American pianist, songwriter, composer, author and conductor.-Biography:...
- Lyrics by Philip Bartholomae
- Played by the Connecticut Yankees
- Sung by Rudy Vallee
- "I'm Just a Vagabond Lover"
- Written by Rudy Vallee and Leon Zimmerman
- Sung by Rudy Vallee during the credits
- Also performed by the dance troupe at the benefit
- "Nobody's Sweetheart"
- Music by Billy Meyers and Elmer SchoebelElmer SchoebelElmer Schoebel was an American jazz pianist, composer, and arranger.Schoebel played along to silent films in Champaign, Illinois early in his career. After moving on to vaudeville late in the 1910s, he played with the 20th Century Jazz Band in Chicago in 1920...
- Lyrics by Gus KahnGus KahnGustav Gerson Kahn was a musician, songwriter and lyricist.-Biography:Kahn was born in Koblenz, Germany in 1886. The family emigrated from there to the United States and moved to Chicago, Illinois in 1890...
and Ernie Erdman - Performed by the Connecticut Yankees
- "Georgie Porgie Pudding and Pie"
- Traditional
- Sung by a quartet of young orphanOrphanAn orphan is a child permanently bereaved of or abandoned by his or her parents. In common usage, only a child who has lost both parents is called an orphan...
s at the benefit
- "If You Were the Only Girl in the World"
- Music by Nat AyerNat AyerNathaniel Davis Ayer was a British-U.S. composer of popular music, including the hits Oh, You Beautiful Doll and If You Were the Only Girl . He was the father of actor Harold Ayer , who lived in California, and Nat Ayer Jr. Nathaniel Davis Ayer (August 5, 1887 in Boston, Massachusetts -...
- Lyrics by Clifford GreyClifford GreyClifford Grey was an English songwriter, actor, librettist and Olympic medalist. His birth name was Percival Davis, and he was also known as Clifford Gray, Tippi Gray, Tippi Grey, Tippy Gray and Tippy Grey.As a writer, Grey contributed prolifically to West End and Broadway shows, as librettist and...
- Played by the Connecticut Yankees
- Sung by Rudy Vallee
- "Then I'll Be Reminded of You"
- Music by Ken Smith
- Lyrics by Edward HeymanEdward HeymanEdward Heyman was an American musician and lyricist, best known for his compositions "Body and Soul", "When I Fall in Love", and "For Sentimental Reasons". He also contributed many songs for films.-Biography:...
- Performed by the Connecticut Yankees
- Sung by Rudy Vallee
- "A Little Kiss Each Morning (A Little Kiss Each Night)"
- Written by Harry M. WoodsHarry M. WoodsHenry MacGregor Woods was a Tin Pan Alley songwriter and pianist. Woods is sometimes credited as Harry Woods.-Early life:...
- Performed by the Connecticut Yankees
- Sung by Rudy Vallee
- "Sweetheart, We Need Each Other"
- Music by Harry TierneyHarry TierneyHarry Austin Tierney was a successful American composer of musical theatre, best known for long-running hits such as Irene , Broadway's longest-running show of the era , Kid Boots and Rio Rita , one of the first musicals to be turned into a talking picture .Born...
- Performed by the dance troupe at the benefit
Critical response
Tana Hobart from All Movie GuideAll Movie Guide
Allrovi is a commercial database launched by the Rovi Corporation in 2011. It compiles information about music and movies from the former services Allmovie and Allmusic.-Content:...
described the film positively: "[The] Classic romantic tale [The Vagabond Lover] is fun with Marie Dressler outstanding in her role as the wealthy eccentric."
External links
- http://www.altfg.com/blog/classics/rudy-vallee-the-vagabond-lover-tcm/
- http://www.answers.com/topic/the-vagabond-lover-film
- http://movies.nytimes.com/movie/review?res=9F00E4DD173BE23ABC4F51DFB7678382639EDE
- http://www.greencine.com/webCatalogMore?prodid=106513
- http://ftvdb.bfi.org.uk/sift/title/56263