The Lady Refuses
Directed by George Archainbaud
Written by Wallace Smith, Robert Milton and Guy Bolton
1931/US
RKO Radio Pictures
IMDb page
First viewing/Amazon Prime (free to members)
June: There are two times when no one can advise a man. The first, is when he’s drinking too much. The other, is when he loves the wrong woman.
Sir Gerald Courtney: Does that bar… even a father?
June: *Especially* a father.
This obscure movie did not wow me.
The action takes place in London with a bunch of American actors trying to sound English. June (Betty Compson) has fallen on hard times and decides to take up prostitution. But on the very first night she hits the streets, the coppers spot her and chase her down. She seeks sanctuary In the posh townhouse of aristocrat Sir Gerald Courtney (Gilbert Emery).
Sir Gerald immediately takes a liking to the obviously clever and pretty June and decides she is just the woman to distract his son Russell (John Darrow) from gold-digging hussy Berthine Waller (Margaret Livingston). June is highly successful at this, perhaps too successful, and succeeds in making two men fall in love with her. With Ivan Lebedeff as Berthine’s boyfriend/pimp.
This is a so-so programmer though it did hold my interest. Compson was ten years older than Darrow and looked it.
No trailer or clips so here’s a tribute to Compson.
