The Girl from 10th Avenue

by Charles Kenyon is based on the 1914 play "Outcast" by Hubert Henry Davies.

ynopsis

Geoffrey Sherwood, rejected by Valentine French in favor of wealthier suitor John Marland, watches her wedding from outside the church. Inebriated, he becomes increasingly louder, drawing the attention of two policemen as well as Miriam Brady, a shopgirl on her lunch hour, who takes Geoff to a cafe to spare him from arrest. There they encounter Hugh Brown and Tony Hewlitt, two of his society friends, who offer Miriam $100 to keep an eye on their pal and make sure he stays out of trouble.

The following morning the couple discover that while under the influence of alcohol they were married by a justice of the peace. Miriam offers to give her new husband his freedom, but he decides to remain with her. They set up housekeeping in an apartment in a lower class neighborhood, and while Geoff starts his own business, Miriam tries to improve herself with the assistance of Mrs. Martin, her landlady and a former showgirl.

With his bride helping him to stay sober, Geoff succeeds and the marriage remains solid until Valentine decides she wants him back. Miriam confronts the woman in a restaurant and their ensuing argument is reported in the newspaper. Miriam leaves Geoff who, realizing he truly loves her, tells Valentine they have no future together, finds his wife, and gives her a wedding band as a sign of his commitment to their marriage.

Production notes

This was the fourth screen adaptation of the Hubert Henry Davies play, which had run for 168 performances at the Lyceum Theatre on Broadway [ [http://www.ibdb.com/production.asp?ID=8082 "Outcast" at the Internet Broadway Database] ] . The first was filmed in 1917 with Miriam Gibson and David Powell. Powell reprised his role in 1922 opposite Elsie Ferguson, who had starred in the original Broadway production. The 1928 version, with a Vitaphone score and sound effects, starred Corinne Griffith and Edmund Lowe [ [http://www.tcm.com/tcmdb/title/title.jsp?stid=76315&atid=5558&category=overview "The Girl from 10th Avenue" at Turner Classic Movies] ] .

The film was released in Great Britain as "Men on Her Mind".

Principal cast

*Bette Davis ..... Miriam Brady
*Ian Hunter ..... Geoffrey Sherwood
*Katharine Alexander ..... Valentine French
*Colin Clive ..... John Marland
*John Eldredge ..... Hugh Brown
*Phillip Reed ..... Tony Hewlett
*Alison Skipworth ..... Mrs. Martin

Principal production credits

*Producers ..... Henry Blanke, Robert Lord
*Original Music ..... Heinz Roemheld
*Musical Supervision ..... Leo F. Forbstein
*Cinematography ..... James Van Trees
*Art Direction ..... John Hughes
*Costume Design ..... Orry-Kelly

Critical reception

"Variety" said, "Bette Davis' first starring venture allows her to go high, wide and handsome on the emotions. She takes 'em all in a stride that saves the yarn from dying by its own befuddlement . . . [the film] is fashioned from a pattern whose every turn and twist the dullest fan can easily anticipate . . . [the] narrative is chockful of implausible sequences and the plot . . . often gets itself into blind alleys. But deft direction plus smooth trouping by Davis make these defects not too noticeable." [ [http://www.variety.com/review/VE1117791269.html "Variety" review] ]

References

External links

* [http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0026413/ "The Girl from 10th Avenue" at the Internet Movie Database]