The Understanding Heart

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Movie
Original title The Understanding Heart
Country of production United States
original language English
Publishing year 1927
length 64 minutes
Rod
Director Jack Conway
script Edward T. Lowe
production Cosmopolitan Productions distributed by MGM
camera John Arnold
cut John English
occupation

The Understanding Heart is a 1927 American silent film with Joan Crawford in one of her first leading roles.

action

Monica Dale is a beautiful young woman who lives in a lumberjack camp in the middle of the woods. She can't choose between rich Bob Mason and poor ranger Tony Garland. A large forest fire forces the three people to resolve their conflicts against the backdrop of the blazing flames.

background

Joan Crawford was discovered as a showgirl under her maiden name Lucille Le Sueur by a talent scout who brokered a seven-month film contract with the newly founded film company Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer . Since her arrival in January 1925, she had first landed extra roles through iron discipline and the development of a durable network. Within a few weeks, the studio managers discovered their potential and induced the actress to adopt the stage name Joan Crawford. A supporting role alongside Jackie Coogan in Old Clothes brought her the attention of aspiring director Edmund Goulding , who eventually hired Crawford to play the tragic Irene in the film adaptation of the hit Broadway show Sally, Irene and Mary . The success of the film helped Crawford lead roles in low-profile films like Paris , which nurtured her talent and gave her the opportunity to develop her acting skills. The Understanding Heart was produced by Cosmopolitan Productions . The company was founded in 1918 by William Randolph Hearst for his lover Marion Davies . It formed an independent unit within the MGM studios and mainly distributed films with Davies in the lead role. Scenes from The Flaming Forest (also known as The Fire Brigade ) from the previous year were used to depict the forest fire .

A few decades later, Joan Crawford was still fond of herself and her male partner:

“I got my first glowing reviews for“ The Understanding Heart ”because [my co-star] Francis X. Bushman, Jr, allowed me to steal every single scene. What a gentleman. "

Theatrical release

At $ 248,000, it was an expensive production for a B-movie even by MGM standards. The film grossed a relatively high amount in the United States with a sum of 427,000 US dollars. With overseas earnings of $ 109,000 and cumulative total earnings of $ 563,000, The Understanding Heart became Joan Crawford's most successful film to date. In the end, however, the studio was only able to realize a small profit of $ 70,000.

Reviews

The critics were taken with Joan Crawford and predicted a prosperous future for her.

Betty Colfax found in the New York Evening Graphic :

“Not only does Miss Crawford show a lot of talent as an actress, she is also very easy to photograph. Overall, she has shown a clear development since her work in The Taxi Dancer , so that one can hope for great things from these young women. "

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. ^ I got my first rave reviews in "The Understanding Heart" because [co-star] Francis X. Bushman, Jr., let me steal almost every scene. A fine gentleman.
  2. ↑ Besides displaying no little ability as an actress, Miss Crawford screens remarkable well and shows a development so far beyond her work [in The Taxi Dancer] that one may expect important tidings of this young lady.