''A Modern Hero'' is a 1934 American

pre-Code Pre-Code Hollywood was the brief era in the Cinema of the United States, American film industry between the widespread adoption of sound in film in 1929LaSalle (2002), p. 1. and the enforcement of the Motion Picture Production Code censorshi ...

romance

drama film In film and television, drama is a category or genre of narrative fiction (or semi-fiction) intended to be more serious than humorous in tone. Drama of this kind is usually qualified with additional terms that specify its particular super-g ...

starring

Richard Barthelmess Richard Semler Barthelmess (May 9, 1895 – August 17, 1963) was an American film actor, principally of the Hollywood silent era. He starred opposite Lillian Gish in D. W. Griffith's '' Broken Blossoms'' (1919) and ''Way Down East'' (1920) and ...

and directed by

G. W. Pabst Georg Wilhelm Pabst (25 August 1885 – 29 May 1967) was an Austrian film director and screenwriter. He started as an actor and theater director, before becoming one of the most influential German-language filmmakers during the Weimar Republic. ...

. It is based on the novel with the same title by

Louis Bromfield Louis Bromfield (December 27, 1896 – March 18, 1956) was an American writer and conservationist. A bestselling novelist in the 1920s, he reinvented himself as a farmer in the late 1930s and became one of the earliest proponents of sustainab ...

. It was Pabst's only American

talking film A sound film is a motion picture with synchronized sound, or sound technologically coupled to image, as opposed to a silent film. The first known public exhibition of projected sound films took place in Paris in 1900, but decades passed befor ...

and the next-to-last film that Barthelmess made under contract to Warner Brothers.

Plot

When a circus comes to Pentland, Illinois, young Joanna Ryan (

Jean Muir Jean Elizabeth Muir ( ; 17 July 1928 – 28 May 1995) was a British fashion designer. Early life and career Jean Muir was born in London, the daughter of Cyril Muir, a draper's floor superintendent, and his wife, Phyllis Coy. Her father wa ...

) is seduced by trick rider Pierre Radier (Richard Barthelmess). Despite his physical skill, Pierre is dissatisfied with circus life and falls in love with Joanna. His mother, the one-armed circus star Madame Azais (

Marjorie Rambeau Marjorie Burnet Rambeau (July 15, 1889 – July 6, 1970) was an American film and stage actress. She began her stage career at age 12, and appeared in several silent films before debuting in her first sound film, '' Her Man'' (1930). She was t ...

), warns Pierre about falling in love. She tells how she lost her arm to a leopard because she was distracted by her love for Pierre's father, one of the richest men in Europe. She urges Pierre instead to act on his ambitions and desire for wealth. Joanna's drunken father ( J. M. Kerrigan) confronts Pierre with news of Joanna's pregnancy, then died in an accident, Pierre offers to marry Joanna, but she wants the familiar stability of small-town life and marries local Elmer Croy ( Theodore Newton). Croy knows about her pregnancy. Pierre gives her money for the child's support. Joanna's Aunt Clara (

Maidel Turner Maidel Turner (May 12, 1888 – April 12, 1953) was an American movie actress featured in almost 60 films between 1913 and 1951, beginning as the leading lady of ''The Angel of the Slums'' (1913) and becoming a comical character actress as she a ...

) arranges for Pierre to see his newborn son and introduces him to her friend, wealthy widow Leah Ernst (

Florence Eldridge Florence Eldridge (born Florence McKechnie, September 5, 1901 – August 1, 1988) was an American actress. She was nominated for the Tony Award for Best Actress in a Play in 1957 for her performance in '' Long Day's Journey into Night''. Ea ...

). Planning to open a bicycle shop with his friend Henry Mueller (

Hobart Cavanaugh Hobart Cavanaugh (September 22, 1886 – April 26, 1950 ) was an American character actor in films and on stage. Biography He was born in Virginia City, Nevada on September 22, 1886. Cavanaugh attended the University of California. He worked i ...

), Pierre borrows money from Leah and becomes her lover. The shop is a success, and Pierre and Henry move into the emerging automobile business, finding an eager backer in Homer Flint (

Arthur Hohl Arthur Hohl (May 21, 1889 – March 10, 1964) was an American stage and motion-picture character actor. He was born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and began appearing in films in the early 1920s. He played a great number of villainous or mildly l ...

), the richest man in the state. Meanwhile, afraid of losing Pierre, Leah seeks advice from Madame Azais, now a fortune-teller, unaware that she is Pierre's mother. Madame Azais warns Leah that she will not be able to hold Pierre, because no woman ever means as much to him as he does to himself. In his quest for financial and social success, Pierre Americanizes his name to "Paul Rader" and becomes Flint's partner, driving Henry to go his own way. On the way to the country club, Paul proposes to Flint's daughter, Hazel (

Dorothy Burgess Dorothy Burgess (March 4, 1907 – August 20, 1961) was an American stage and motion-picture actress. Family, education Born in Los Angeles in 1907, Burgess was a niece of Fay Bainter. On her father's side, she was related to David C. Montgome ...

), more to further his own ambitions than for love. At the club, a young boy offers to caddy for him, and Paul discovers that the boy is his son, Pierre Croy. Now married but childless, Paul offers to adopt Pierre. Joanna flatly refuses, but she allows Paul to finance Pierre's education at an elite boarding school when Pierre is older. She worries that Paul may spoil his son, who is still unaware of his parentage. In 1922, Paul escorts Pierre to school and stops in New York City, where he begins an affair with yet another wealthy woman, Lady Claire Benston (

Verree Teasdale Verree Teasdale (March 15, 1903 – February 17, 1987) was an American actress born in Spokane, Washington. Early years A second cousin of Edith Wharton, Teasdale attended Erasmus Hall High School in Brooklyn and trained as a stage actr ...

). Yearning for complete financial independence from Flint, Paul entrusts his entire fortune to a stock speculator. Pierre, now a young man, spends Christmas in New York with Paul and comes home drunk after a night on the town. Warning Pierre about the dangers of drinking “when it is in your blood”, Paul reveals that he is his father. The two look forward to a future in business together. Meanwhile, a distraught Hazel finds Paul's will leaving everything to his son. It all comes crashing down. The stock speculator, a swindler, vanishes. Lady Benston wants nothing further to do with Paul, calling him a peasant. Pierre is killed driving a new car given him by his father. When he brings Pierre's body to the grieving family, Joanna refuses to shake his hand. Paul leaves Hazel, who cries that she's glad Pierre is dead. Ruined and heartsick, Paul seeks out his mother. Though she is old and living in near-poverty, she tells him that he is free of his father's blood; he has finally learned what is real. They can make a fresh start in Europe. Paul kneels, saying, "Maybe some day, I'll be worthy of you."

Cast

as Pierre Radier, aka Paul Rader *

as Joanna Ryan Croy *

as Madame Azais *

as Lady Claire Benston *

as Leah Ernst *

as Hazel Flint Radier *

as Henry Mueller *

William Janney William Janney (born Russell Dixon Janney, February 15, 1908 – December 22, 1992) was an American actor who appeared in 39 films between 1929 and 1937. He was the son of author and theatrical producer Russell Janney,(28 December 1940)William J ...

as Young Pierre Croy *

as Homer Flint * Theodore Newton as Elmer Croy * J. M. Kerrigan as Mr. Ryan *

as Aunt Clara Weingartner * Mickey Rentschler as Young Pierre as a Child *

Richard Tucker Richard Tucker (August 28, 1913January 8, 1975) was an American operatic tenor and cantor. Long associated with the Metropolitan Opera, Tucker's career was primarily centered in the United States. Early life Tucker was born Rivn (Rubin) Ticker ...

as Mr. Eggelson *

Judith Vosselli Judith Vosselli (June 25, 1895 – September 18, 1966) was a Spanish-born actress who appeared on the American stage and screen during the 1920s and 1930s. Biography Born in Barcelona, Vosselli made her American acting debut in the successful Bro ...

as Mrs. Eggelson *

Theresa Harris Theresa Harris (December 31, 1906 – October 8, 1985) was an American television and film actress, singer and dancer. Early life Harris was born on New Year's Eve 1906 (some sources indicate 1909) in Houston, Texas, to Isaiah and Mable Harris ...

as Leah's maid

References

External links

* *
A Modern Hero
' at

Turner Classic Movies Turner Classic Movies (TCM) is an American movie channel, movie-oriented pay television, pay-TV television network, network owned by Warner Bros. Discovery. Launched in 1994, Turner Classic Movies is headquartered at Turner's Techwood broadcasti ...

{{DEFAULTSORT:Modern Hero, A 1934 films 1934 romantic drama films 1930s English-language films American romantic drama films American black-and-white films Films based on works by Louis Bromfield Films directed by G. W. Pabst Films with screenplays by Kathryn Scola Warner Bros. films 1930s American films