The boob

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Movie
Original title The boob
Country of production United States
original language English
Publishing year 1926
length 64 minutes
Rod
Director William A. Wellman
script Kenneth Clarke
production Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
camera William H. Daniels
cut Ben Lewis
occupation

The Boob is a 1926 American silent film starring George K. Arthur and directed by William A. Wellman in one of its earliest works. Joan Crawford has a small supporting role.

action

Peter Good loves Amy, but Amy loves Harry and Harry is a stag. In order to win Amy for himself, Peter tries his hand at an undercover agent and with the help of Jane, the best agent ever, he puts Harry down and wins Amy's love.

background

Joan Crawford had been with MGM since 1925 and quickly rose to become a popular actress. Especially the appearance in Sally, Irene and Mary helped her breakthrough and a permanent studio engagement. The main actor George K. Arthur was known shortly before for his appearance in Josef von Sternberg's debut film The Salvation Hunters . The film was first produced as I'll Tell the World in late 1925 , but later brought to general distribution under The Boob . It consists of a series of individual episodes that are vaguely held together by a framework plot. Crawford only appears after a good 30 minutes and is then less than six minutes on the screen. However, the financial failure of the film did not significantly hinder the rise of Crawford, who was named one of the WAMPAS Baby Stars in mid-1926 and soon graced the covers of important film magazines and journals.

Joan Crawford hated the movie and her role with all her heart. In a letter to a fan in late 1926, she wrote:

“I just found out that a movie I made over a year ago, called I'll Tell the World, went on general distribution under the title The Boob. I am so ashamed of this hideous mistake. Can you forgive me. You don't have to tell me what a terrible movie that was. I know exactly myself. I didn't even go to the preview. "

The film was released in England under the title The Yokel .

Theatrical release

With a manufacturing cost of just $ 108,000, The Boob was a very inexpensive production by MGM standards. He grossed $ 142,000 in the United States. With overseas revenues of just $ 42,000 and a cumulative total income of $ 183,000, the studio ended up making a loss of $ 30,000. It would be the only Crawford film to lose money until Rain in 1932.

Reviews

The critics shared Crawford's negative view of the film.

The Baltimore Sun was clear in its verdict:

“A piece of dirt […]. Society hasn't exactly covered itself with fame because this story about a really stupid boy who becomes an agent against the bootleggers to win a girl is about as colorful as washing up water. "

Film Daily was also not convinced:

"The development is so episodic [...] that the original idea is drowned in a torrent of comedic scenes, slapstick and the like."

literature

  • Roy Newquist (Ed.): Conversations with Joan Crawford . Citadel Press, Secaucus, NJ 1980, ISBN 0-8065-0720-9 .
  • Lawrence J. Quirk : The Complete Films of Joan Crawford . Citadel Press, Secaucus, NJ 1988, ISBN 0-8065-1078-1 .
  • Lawrence J. Quirk, William Schoell: Joan Crawford. The Essential Biography . University Press, Lexington, KY. 2002, ISBN 0-8131-2254-6 .
  • Alexander Walker: Joan Crawford. The Ultimate Star . Weidenfeld & Nicolson, London 1983, ISBN 0-297-78216-9 .

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ A piece of junk. [...]. The company has simply covered itself with water and become soaking wet, for this tale of a half-dumb boy who turned prohibition agent to convince his girl he had nerve is as wishy-washy as any pail of dishwater.
  2. ↑ The development is of such an episodic nature […] that the initial idea is eventually lost in a variety of comedy gags, slapstick and otherwise.