Laughing Sinners

Laughing Sinners

Original film poster
Directed by Harry Beaumont
Written by Play:
Kenyon Nicholson
Continuity:
Bess Meredyth
Dialogue:
Martin Flavin
Starring Joan Crawford
Neil Hamilton
Clark Gable
Cinematography Charles Rosher
Editing by George Hively
Distributed by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
Release date(s) May 30, 1931
Running time 72 minutes
Country United States
Language English

Laughing Sinners (1931) Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer feature film starring Joan Crawford and Clark Gable in a story about a cafe entertainer who experiences spiritual redemption. The dialogue by Martin Flavin was based upon the play, Torch Song by Kenyon Nicholson. The film was directed by Harry Beaumont. Laughing Sinners was the second of eight cinematic collaborations between Crawford and Gable.

Contents

Historical note

Coincidentally, just as they did in Laughing Sinners, Crawford and Rambeau would play mother and daughter again in the film Torch Song in 1953.

Plot

Ivy Stevens (Crawford) is a cafe entertainer in love with a shifty salesman (Neil Hamilton) who deserts her. In attempting to commit suicide, she is saved by Carl (Gable), a Salvation Army officer. Encouraged by Carl, Ivy joins the Salvation Army. When her old flame re-enters her life, Ivy finds she is still atttracted and begins another affair with him. Carl steps in and urges Ivy to resume her life with the Salvation Army. Ivy realizes that if she continues the affair, her life will only spiral downward. She drops the affair and resumes her commitment to the Salvation Army.

Cast

Production

John Mack Brown was originally playing Gable's role when the studio decided to scrap his footage and reshoot the part with Gable taking Brown's place. At that point, Brown's distinguished career in mainstream feature films ended and he wound up demoted to cowboy B pictures, with his name changed to "Johnny Mack Brown."

Reception

A.D.S. commented in the New York Times, "Miss Crawford...has tempered the intense and not a little self-conscious quality of her acting without hurting her vibrant and breath-catching spirit."[1]

See also

References

  1. ^ Quirk, Lawrence J.. The Films of Joan Crawford. The Citadel Press, 1968.

External links

1925-1939
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1950-1959
The Damned Don't Cry! (1950) • Harriet Craig (1950) • Goodbye, My Fancy (1951) • This Woman Is Dangerous (1952) • Sudden Fear (1952) • Torch Song (1953) • Johnny Guitar (1954) • Female on the Beach (1955) • Queen Bee (1955) • Autumn Leaves (1956) • The Story of Esther Costello (1957) • The Best of Everything (1959)
1960-1970
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Films directed by Harry Beaumont
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