Multiple-language version

Foreign-language version is a term for a film from the early talkie era (1929-1931) that was especially prepared for foreign markets. In the early days of sound films, it was common for Hollywood studios to produce foreign-language versions of their films using the same sets, costumes and so on. While many of these versions no longer exist, the Spanish-language version of Drácula is a notable exception.

The first foreign-language versions began to be produced in 1929 and largely replaced the International Sound Version method for all major releases. The most common languages used for these productions were Spanish, French and German. Although quite a large number of these films were produced very few survive today. Some notable exceptions are the foreign-language versions of Laurel & Hardy shorts, Charley Chase shorts, the Spanish version of Charlie Chan Carries On 1931, the Spanish version of Pardon Us 1931, Buster Keaton's Spanish version of Free And Easy 1930 (entitled Estrellados), the German version of Greta Garbo's Anna Christie 1931, the German and French versions of The Big House 1930, and the Spanish version of The Lady Who Dared 1931 (La Dama Atrevida), etc.

In 1931, dubbing and subtitling became perfected and this, along with the Great Depression, led to the demise of the foreign-language version. It continued to be utilized for special deluxe pictures, such as the French version of The Merry Widow 1934 and the French version of Folies Bergere 1935, until the mid-1930s and then quietly disappeared.

Foreign language versions were also produced in reverse. For instance, the 1930 German film The Blue Angel was produced in German and English language versions.

List of foreign-language versions

Original Film Year/Studio Foreign Versions
Berth Marks 1929 MGM Noche de duendes 1931 Spanish version
Feu mon oncle 1930 French version
Spuk um Mitternacht 1931 German version
Blaze O'Glory 1929 Sono Art Sombras de gloria 1930 Spanish version
Halfway to Heaven 1929 Paramount Sombras del circo 1931 Spanish version
À mi-chemin du ciel 1931 French version
Der Sprung ins Nichts 1932 German version
Halvvägs till himlen 1932 Swedish version
His Glorious Night 1929 MGM Olimpia 1930 Spanish version
Si l'empereur savait ça 1930 French version
Olympia 1930 German version
Hollywood Revue of 1929 1929 MGM Hollywood Revue 1930 French version
Hollywood Revue 1930 German version
Innocents of Paris 1929 Paramount La chanson de Paris 1930 French version
The Letter 1929 Paramount La carta 1931 Spanish version
La lettre 1930 French version
Weib im Dschungel 1931 German version
La donna bianca 1931 Italian version
The Love Parade 1929 Paramount Parade d'amour 1930 French version
Madame X 1929 MGM La mujer X 1931 Spanish version
Nothing But the Truth 1929 Paramount La pura verdad 1931 Spanish version
Rien que la vérité 1930 French version
Die nackte Wahrheit 1932 German version
Pointed Heels 1929 Paramount Gente alegre 1931 Spanish version
The Sacred Flame 1929 Warner Bros. La llama sagrada 1931 Spanish version
Die heilige Flamme 1931 German version
The Trial of Mary Dugan 1929 MGM El proceso de Mary Dugan 1931 Spanish version
Le procès de Mary Dugan 1930 French version
Mordprozeß Mary Dugan 1931 German version
The Unholy Night 1929 MGM Le spectre vert 1930 French version
A Lady's Morals 1930 MGM Jenny Lind 1931 French version
Anna Christie 1930 MGM Anna Christie 1931 German version
The Bad Man 1930 First National El hombre malo 1930 Spanish version
Lopez, le bandit 1930 French version
The Benson Murder Case 1930 Paramount El cuerpo del delito 1930 Spanish version
The Big House 1930 MGM El presidio 1930 Spanish version
Révolte dans la prison 1931 French version
Menschen hinter Gittern 1931 German version
The Big Pond 1930 Paramount La grande mare 1930 French version
The Big Trail 1930 Fox La gran jornada 1930 Spanish version
La piste des géants 1931 French version
Die große Fahrt 1931 German version
Il grande sentiero 1931 Italian version
The Boudoir Diplomat 1930 Universal Don Juan diplomático 1931 Spanish version
Boudoir diplomatique 1931 French version
Liebe auf Befehl 1931 German version
Brats 1930 MGM Glückliche Kindheit 1931 German version
Call of the Flesh 1930 MGM Sevilla de mis amores 1930 Spanish version
Le chanteur de Séville 1931 French version
The Cat Creeps 1930 Universal La voluntad del muerto 1930 Spanish version
Common Clay 1930 Fox Del mismo barro 1930 Spanish version
The Devil's Holiday 1930 Paramount La fiesta del diablo 1931 Spanish version
Les vacances du diable 1931 French version
Sonntag des Lebens 1931 German version
La vacanza del diavolo 1931 Italian version
En kvinnas morgondag 1931 Swedish version
Dollar Dizzy 1930 MGM El príncipe del dólar 1931 Spanish version
Chercheuses d'or 1930 French version
Doughboys 1930 MGM De frente, marchen 1930 Spanish version
East Is West 1930 Universal Oriente es Occidente 1930 Spanish version
Fast Work 1930 MGM Locuras de amor 1931 Spanish version
Free and Easy 1930 MGM Estrellados 1930 Spanish version
Going Wild 1930 First National L'aviateur 1931 French version
Grumpy 1930 Paramount Cascarrabias 1930 Spanish version
Her Wedding Night 1930 Paramount Su noche de bodas 1931 Spanish version
Marions-nous 1931 French version
Ich heirate meinen Mann 1931 German version
Hog Wild 1930 MGM Radiomanía 1930 Spanish version
Honey 1930 Paramount Salga de la cocina 1930 Spanish version
Chérie 1931 French version
Jede Frau hat etwas 1931 German version
Kärlek måste vi ha 1931 Swedish version
It Pays to Advertise 1931 Paramount Criez-le sur les toits 1931 French version
Kismet 1930 First National Kismet 1931 German version
The Laurel and Hardy Murder Case 1930 MGM Noche de duendes 1930 Spanish version
Feu mon oncle 1930 French version
Spuk um Mitternacht 1930 German version
Laughter 1930 Paramount Lo mejor es reir 1931 Spanish version
Rive gauche 1931 French version
Die Männer um Lucie 1931 German version
A Dama Que Ri 1931 Portuguese version
Let Us Be Gay 1930 MGM Soyons gais 1930 French version
The Big Fight1930 James Cruze Prod. La fuerza del querer 1930 Spanish version
Manslaughter 1930 Paramount La incorregible 1930 Spanish version
Le réquisitoire 1931 French version
Leichtsinnige Jugend 1931 German version
Lika inför lagen 1931 Swedish version
Men of the North 1930 MGM Monsieur Le Fox 1931 Spanish version
Monsieur Le Fox 1931 French version
Monsieur Le Fox 1931 German version
Luigi La Volpe 1931 Italian version
Min and Bill 1930 MGM La fruta amarga 1930 Spanish version
Moby Dick 1930 Warner Bros. Moby Dick 1931 French version
Dämon des Meeres 1931 German version
Night Owls 1930 MGM Ladrones 1930 Spanish version
On Your Back 1930 Fox Esclavas de la moda 1930 Spanish version
One Mad Kiss 1930 Fox El precio de un beso 1930 Spanish version
Paramount on Parade 1930 Paramount Galas de la Paramount 1930 Spanish version
Paramount en parade 1930 French version
Paramount auf Parade 1930 German version
Paramount sulla parata 1930 Italian version
Paramount on Parade 1931 Swedish version
Paramount op parade 1930 Dutch Version
Parada Paramount 1930 Romanian Version
Paramount on Parade 1930 Japanese version
Paramount on Parade 1930 Czech version
Paramount on Parade 1930 Hungarian version
Paramount on Parade 1930 Serbian version
Parada Paramountu 1930 Polish version
Playboy of Paris 1930 Paramount Le petit café 1930 French version
Scotland Yard 1930 Fox El impostor 1930 Spanish version
Révolte dans la prison 1931 French version
Menschen hinter Gittern 1931 German version
The Sea God 1930 MGM El Dios del mar 1930 Spanish version
Show Girl In Hollywood 1930 First National Le masque d'Hollywood 1930 French version
Slightly Scarlet 1930 Paramount Amor audaz 1930 Spanish version
L'énigmatique Monsieur Parkes 1930 French version
Those Who Dance 1930 Warner Bros. Los que danzan 1930 Spanish version
Contre-enquête 1931 French version
Der Tanz geht weiter 1931 German version
Way For A Sailor 1930 MGM En cada puerto un amor 1930 Spanish version
The Way of All Men 1930 First National Die Maske fällt 1931 German version
What A Man! 1930 Sono Art Así es la vida 1930 Spanish version
Arabian Nights 1931 Universal El Tenorio del harem 1931 Spanish version
The Bachelor Father 1931 MGM Le père célibataire 1931 French version
Bad Girl 1931 Fox Marido y mujer 1931 Spanish version
Be Big! 1931 MGM Los Calaveras 1931 Spanish version
Les Carottiers 1931 French version
Body and Soul 1931 Fox Cuerpo y alma 1931 Spanish version
Charlie Chan Carries On 1931 Fox Eran Trece 1931 Spanish version
Chickens Come Home 1931 MGM Politiquerías 1931 Spanish version
The Criminal Code 1931 Columbia El código penal 1931 Spanish version
Don't Bet on Women 1931 Fox Conoces a tu mujer? 1931 Spanish version
Dracula 1931 Universal Drácula 1931 Spanish version
The Easiest Way 1931 MGM Quand on est belle 1931 French version
The Good Bad Girl 1931 Columbia El pasado acusa 1931 Spanish version
The Lady Who Dared 1931 First National La dama atrevida 1931 Spanish version
Their Mad Moment 1931 Fox Mi último amor 1931 Spanish version
Laughing Gravy 1931 MGM Los Calaveras 1931 Spanish version
Les Carottiers 1931 French version
Local Boy Makes Good 1931 First National L'athlète incomplet 1932 French version
The Man Who Came Back 1931 Fox Del infierno al cielo 1931 Spanish version
Men in Her Life 1931 Fox Hombres en mi vida 1931 Spanish version
Pardon Us 1931 MGM De Bote en Bote 1931 Spanish version
Sous les verrous 1931 French version
Hinter Schloss und Riegel 1931 German version
Muraglie 1931 Italian version
Parlor, Bedroom and Bath 1931 MGM Buster se marie 1931 French version
Casanova wider Willen 1931 German version
The Phantom of Paris 1931 MGM Cheri-Bibi 1931 Spanish version
Resurrection 1931 Universal Resurrección 1931 Spanish version
Rough Seas 1931 MGM Monerías 1931 Spanish version
The Royal Bed 1931 RKO Échec au roi 1931 French version
Stamboul 1931 Paramount El hombre que asesinó 1932 Spanish version
L'homme qui assassina 1931 French version
Der Mann, der den Mord beging 1931 German version
Ten Cents A Dance 1931 Columbia Carne de cabaret 1931 Spanish version
Thundering Tenors 1931 MGM El alma de la fiesta 1931 Spanish version
Transgression 1931 RKO Nuit d'Espagne 1931 French version
The Woman Between 1931 RKO Le fils de l'autre 1931 French version
Alias the Doctor 1932 First National Le cas du docteur Brenner 1933 French version
Bachelor Mother 1932 Goldsmith Tres Amores 1934 Spanish version
The Crowd Roars 1932 Warner Bros. La foule hurle 1932 French version
High Pressure 1932 Warner Bros. Le bluffeur 1932 French version
One Hour with You 1932 Paramount Une heure près de toi 1932 French version
The Passionate Plumber 1932 MGM Le plombier amoureux 1932 French version
It's Great to be Alive 1933 Fox El último varon sobre la Tierra 1933 Spanish version
Pleasure Cruise 1933 Fox No dejes la puerta abierta 1933 Spanish version
Revenge at Monte Carlo 1933 Mayfair Dos noches 1933 Spanish version
The Way to Love 1933 Paramount L'amour guide 1933 French version
Caravan 1934 Fox Caravane 1934 French version
The Merry Widow 1934 MGM La veuve joyeuse 1934 French version
Pursued 1934 Fox Nada más que una mujer 1934 Spanish version
Folies Bergère 1935 Fox L'homme des Folies Bergère 1935 French version
Storm Over the Andes 1935 Universal Alas sobre El Chaco 1935 Spanish version

See also