Our Dancing Daughters
Encyclopedia
Our Dancing Daughters is a 1928 MGM silent
drama film
starring Joan Crawford
and John Mack Brown
(later billed after a career decline as "Johnny Mack Brown"), about the "loosening of youth morals" that took place during the 1920s. The film was directed by Harry Beaumont
and produced by Hunt Stromberg
. This was the film that made Joan Crawford a major star, a position she held for the following half century.
and Huntley Gordon
) by telling them not to stay out late. Her friend Ann (Anita Page
) chases boys for their money and is as amoral as her mother (Kathlyn Williams
). Diana and Ann are both attracted to Ben Blaine (John Mack Brown
). He takes Diana's flirtatious behavior with other boys as a sign of uninterest in him and marries Ann. Diana becomes distraught for a while. Later, Diana throws a party which Ann hopes to attend with her lover, Freddie (Edward J. Nugent
). She gets into an argument with her husband about the party but attends anyway; Ben attends behind Ann's back. Ben and Diana realize their love for each other, and, when Ann falls to her death due to drunkenness, the two are free to unite. Others in the cast include Nils Asther
as Norman, Dorothy Sebastian
as Beatrice, and Evelyn Hall and Sam De Grasse
as Freddie's parents.
...
Diana 'Di' Medford
John Mack Brown
...
Ben Blaine
Nils Asther
...
Norman
Dorothy Sebastian
...
Beatrice 'Bea'
Anita Page
...
Ann 'Annikins'
Kathlyn Williams
...
Ann's mother
Edward J. Nugent
...
Freddie (billed as Edward Nugent)
Dorothy Cumming
...
Diana's mother
Huntley Gordon
...
Diana's father (billed as Huntly Gordon)
Evelyn Hall ...
Freddie's mother
Sam De Grasse
...
Freddie's father (billed as Sam de Grasse)
Silent film
A silent film is a film with no synchronized recorded sound, especially with no spoken dialogue. In silent films for entertainment the dialogue is transmitted through muted gestures, pantomime and title cards...
drama film
Drama film
A drama film is a film genre that depends mostly on in-depth development of realistic characters dealing with emotional themes. Dramatic themes such as alcoholism, drug addiction, infidelity, moral dilemmas, racial prejudice, religious intolerance, poverty, class divisions, violence against women...
starring Joan Crawford
Joan Crawford
Joan Crawford , born Lucille Fay LeSueur, was an American actress in film, television and theatre....
and John Mack Brown
Johnny Mack Brown
Johnny Mack Brown was an All-American college football player and film actor originally billed as John Mack Brown at the height of his screen career.-Early life:...
(later billed after a career decline as "Johnny Mack Brown"), about the "loosening of youth morals" that took place during the 1920s. The film was directed by Harry Beaumont
Harry Beaumont
Harry Beaumont was an American film director, actor, and screenwriter. He worked for a variety of production companies including Fox, Goldwyn, Metro, Warner Brothers and MGM....
and produced by Hunt Stromberg
Hunt Stromberg
Hunt Stromberg was a film producer during Hollywood's Golden Age. In a prolific 30-year career beginning in 1921, Stromberg produced, wrote, and directed some of Hollywood's most profitable and enduring films, including The Thin Man series, the Nelson Eddy/Jeanette MacDonald operettas, The Women,...
. This was the film that made Joan Crawford a major star, a position she held for the following half century.
Plot
"Dangerous Diana" Medford (Crawford) is outwardly flamboyant and popular but inwardly virtuous and idealistic, patronizing her parents (Dorothy CummingDorothy Cumming
Dorothy G. Cumming was an actress of the silent film era. She appeared in 39 American, English, and Australian films between 1915 and 1929, notably appearing as the Virgin Mary in Cecil B. DeMille's 1927 film The King of Kings and the jealous wife in Lillian Gish's 1928 The Wind. She also appeared...
and Huntley Gordon
Huntley Gordon
Huntley Gordon was an actor born in Montreal, Quebec.-Profile:Gordon was educated in both Canada and England. He had various jobs including working in a bank, in a silver mine, contracting, as a commercial traveller, and being a cigarette factory owner before settling on the stage and at one time...
) by telling them not to stay out late. Her friend Ann (Anita Page
Anita Page
Anita Evelyn Pomares , better known as Anita Page, was a Salvadoran-American film actress who reached stardom in the last years of the silent film era. She became a highly popular young star, reportedly at one point receiving the most fan mail of anyone on the MGM lot...
) chases boys for their money and is as amoral as her mother (Kathlyn Williams
Kathlyn Williams
Kathlyn Williams was an American actress, known for her blonde beauty and daring antics, who performed on stage as well as in early silent film.-Early life and career:...
). Diana and Ann are both attracted to Ben Blaine (John Mack Brown
Johnny Mack Brown
Johnny Mack Brown was an All-American college football player and film actor originally billed as John Mack Brown at the height of his screen career.-Early life:...
). He takes Diana's flirtatious behavior with other boys as a sign of uninterest in him and marries Ann. Diana becomes distraught for a while. Later, Diana throws a party which Ann hopes to attend with her lover, Freddie (Edward J. Nugent
Edward J. Nugent
Edward Nugent was an American film actor. He appeared in 81 films between 1928 and 1937.He subsequently had a second acting career on Broadway. Brooklyn USA , the comedy Junior Miss , and See My Lawyer were some of his best roles...
). She gets into an argument with her husband about the party but attends anyway; Ben attends behind Ann's back. Ben and Diana realize their love for each other, and, when Ann falls to her death due to drunkenness, the two are free to unite. Others in the cast include Nils Asther
Nils Asther
Nils Anton Alfhild Asther was a Danish-born Swedish actor active in Hollywood from 1926 to the mid 1950s, known for his beautiful face and often called "the male Greta Garbo"...
as Norman, Dorothy Sebastian
Dorothy Sebastian
Dorothy Sebastian was an American film and stage actress.-Early life and career:Sebastian was born and raised in Birmingham, Alabama. In her youth she hoped to be a dancer and later a film actress. Her family frowned on both ambitions, however, so she fled to New York at the age of 15...
as Beatrice, and Evelyn Hall and Sam De Grasse
Sam De Grasse
Samuel Alfred De Grasse was a Canadian actor. Born in Bathurst, New Brunswick, he trained to be a dentist....
as Freddie's parents.
Cast
Joan CrawfordJoan Crawford
Joan Crawford , born Lucille Fay LeSueur, was an American actress in film, television and theatre....
...
Diana 'Di' Medford
John Mack Brown
Johnny Mack Brown
Johnny Mack Brown was an All-American college football player and film actor originally billed as John Mack Brown at the height of his screen career.-Early life:...
...
Ben Blaine
Nils Asther
Nils Asther
Nils Anton Alfhild Asther was a Danish-born Swedish actor active in Hollywood from 1926 to the mid 1950s, known for his beautiful face and often called "the male Greta Garbo"...
...
Norman
Dorothy Sebastian
Dorothy Sebastian
Dorothy Sebastian was an American film and stage actress.-Early life and career:Sebastian was born and raised in Birmingham, Alabama. In her youth she hoped to be a dancer and later a film actress. Her family frowned on both ambitions, however, so she fled to New York at the age of 15...
...
Beatrice 'Bea'
Anita Page
Anita Page
Anita Evelyn Pomares , better known as Anita Page, was a Salvadoran-American film actress who reached stardom in the last years of the silent film era. She became a highly popular young star, reportedly at one point receiving the most fan mail of anyone on the MGM lot...
...
Ann 'Annikins'
Kathlyn Williams
Kathlyn Williams
Kathlyn Williams was an American actress, known for her blonde beauty and daring antics, who performed on stage as well as in early silent film.-Early life and career:...
...
Ann's mother
Edward J. Nugent
Edward J. Nugent
Edward Nugent was an American film actor. He appeared in 81 films between 1928 and 1937.He subsequently had a second acting career on Broadway. Brooklyn USA , the comedy Junior Miss , and See My Lawyer were some of his best roles...
...
Freddie (billed as Edward Nugent)
Dorothy Cumming
Dorothy Cumming
Dorothy G. Cumming was an actress of the silent film era. She appeared in 39 American, English, and Australian films between 1915 and 1929, notably appearing as the Virgin Mary in Cecil B. DeMille's 1927 film The King of Kings and the jealous wife in Lillian Gish's 1928 The Wind. She also appeared...
...
Diana's mother
Huntley Gordon
Huntley Gordon
Huntley Gordon was an actor born in Montreal, Quebec.-Profile:Gordon was educated in both Canada and England. He had various jobs including working in a bank, in a silver mine, contracting, as a commercial traveller, and being a cigarette factory owner before settling on the stage and at one time...
...
Diana's father (billed as Huntly Gordon)
Evelyn Hall ...
Freddie's mother
Sam De Grasse
Sam De Grasse
Samuel Alfred De Grasse was a Canadian actor. Born in Bathurst, New Brunswick, he trained to be a dentist....
...
Freddie's father (billed as Sam de Grasse)