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His Hour
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Wikipedia article
'His Hour' is a 1924 American silent drama film directed by King Vidor. This film was the follow-up to Samuel Goldwyn's 'Three Weeks', written by Elinor Glyn, and starring Aileen Pringle, one of the biggest moneymakers at the time of the Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer amalgamation.
Plot
Gritzko (John Gilbert) is a Russian nobleman and Tamara (Aileen Pringle) is the object of his desire.
Cast
* Aileen Pringle as Tamara Loraine
* John Gilbert as Gritzko
* Emily Fitzroy as Princess Ardacheff
* Lawrence Grant as Stephen Strong
* Dale Fuller as Olga Gleboff
*Mario Carillo as Count Valonne
* Jacqueline Gadsden as Tatiane Shebanoff (credited as Jacquelin Gadsdon)
* George Waggner as Sasha Basmanoff (credited as George Waggoner)
* Carrie Clark Ward as Prinncess Murieska
* Bertram Grassby as Boris Varishkine
* Jill Reties as Sonia Zaieskine
* Wilfred Gough as Lord Courtney
* Frederick Vroom as English Minister
* Mathilde Comont as Fat Harem Lady
* E. Eliazaroff as Khedive
* David Mir as Serge Greskoff
* Bert Sprotte as Ivan
* George Beranger as (credited as Andre Beranger)
* Virginia Adair (uncredited)
* Rowfat-Bey Haliloff as Dancer (uncredited)
* Mike Mitchell (uncredited)
* Jack Parker as Child (uncredited)
* Thais Valdemar (uncredited)
Production
'His Hour' marked the first of five pictures that John Gilbert and King Vidor would make together for M-G-M.Durgnat and Simmon 1988 p. 54: Gilberts first of five films with Vidor.
Landazuri, 2009: King Vidor directed Gilbert in five of his most successful films.
Adapted from a 1910 novel by Elinor Glyn, an author of torrid romances chic in the 19th Century, 'His Hour' was Vidors attempt to tap into the popularity of Jazz Age "flaming-youth" pictures dealing with marital infidelity.Durgnat and Simmon 1988 p. 53-54
The movie includes many titillating seduction scenes, one of which was deemed too salacious for release.Baxter, 1976 p. 20
Produced under the strictures of the new Production Code, producer Louis B. Mayer censured Vidor for incorporating some of Glyns hot-cheeked depictions of sexual decadence.Durgnat and Simmon 1988 p. 53-54 and p. 56
A former officer of the Russian Imperial Army, by now living in Los Angeles, served as a technical adviser on the film. His actual name has not been confirmed, however the studio press releases referred to him as Mike Mitchell. This film marked the first of four times that John Gilbert and King Vidor would work together. Despite showcasing his riding ability and appearance, Gilbert hated the script and felt it gave him nothing substantial to do as an actor.Golden, Eve; 'John Gilbert: The Last of the Silent Film Stars'; Lexington: University of Kentucky Press; pp. 81-82
Reception
In this, Gilberts first film with King Vidor, audiences were impressed with the star as a romantic leading manLandazuri, 2009: "...'His Hour' (1924), Gilberts first picture at MGM, was also his first with Vidor. Fans and critics alike responded enthusiastically to Gilbert as a romantic lead.
Brownlow 1979 p. 192: ...'His Hour' brought him [Gilbert] his [first] acclaim.
Box office
According to MGM's records, the film made a profit of $159,000. MGM sent Elinor Glynn records which stated the film cost $211,930 and earned $317,442 resulting in a profit of only $105,511. This meant Glynn, who was entitled to 33.3% of net profits, earned $35,170."The Novelist as Hollywood Star: Author Royalties and Studio Income in the 1920s" by Vincent L. Barnett, 'Film History' Vol. 20, No. 3, Studio Systems (2008), pp. 281-293
Footnotes
References
*Baxter, John. 1976. 'King Vidor'. Simon & Schuster, Inc. Monarch Film Studies. LOC Card Number 75-23544.
*Brownlow, Kevin and Kobal, John. 1979. 'Hollywood: The Pioneers'. Alfred A. Knopf Inc. A Borzoi Book, New York.
*Durgnat, Raymond and Simmon, Scott. 1988. 'King Vidor, American.' University of California Press, Berkeley.
*Landazuri, Roberto. 2009. 'Bardelys the Magnificent'. San Francisco Silent Film Festival (SFSFF) https://silentfilm.org/bardelys-the-magnificent/ Retrieved 11 June 2020.
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