''Beau Brummel'' is a 1924 American silent

historical drama film A historical drama (also period drama, costume drama, and period piece) is a work set in a past time period, usually used in the context of film and television. Historical drama includes historical fiction and romances, adventure films, and swas ...

starring

John Barrymore John Barrymore (born John Sidney Blyth; February 14 or 15, 1882 – May 29, 1942) was an American actor on stage, screen and radio. A member of the Drew and Barrymore theatrical families, he initially tried to avoid the stage, and briefly att ...

and

Mary Astor Mary Astor (born Lucile Vasconcellos Langhanke; May 3, 1906 – September 25, 1987) was an American actress. Although her career spanned several decades, she may be best remembered for her performance as Brigid O'Shaughnessy in '' The Maltese ...

. The film was directed by

Harry Beaumont Harry Beaumont (10 February 1888 – 22 December 1966) was an American film director, actor, and screenwriter. He worked for a variety of production companies including 20th Century Fox, Fox, Goldwyn Pictures Corporation, Goldwyn, Metro Picture ...

and based upon Clyde Fitch's 1890 play, which had been performed by

Richard Mansfield Richard Mansfield (24 May 1857 – 30 August 1907) was an English actor-manager best known for his performances in Shakespeare plays, Gilbert and Sullivan operas, and the play '' Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde''. Life and career Mansfield was born ...

, and depicts the life of the British

Regency A regent (from Latin : ruling, governing) is a person appointed to govern a state '' pro tempore'' (Latin: 'for the time being') because the monarch is a minor, absent, incapacitated or unable to discharge the powers and duties of the monarchy ...

dandy

Beau Brummell George Bryan "Beau" Brummell (7 June 1778 – 30 March 1840) was an important figure in Regency England and, for many years, the arbiter of men's fashion. At one time, he was a close friend of the Prince Regent, the future King George IV, but ...

. Several years after Barrymore's death, his daughter

Diana Barrymore Diana Blanche Barrymore Blythe (March 3, 1921 – January 25, 1960), known professionally as Diana Barrymore, was an American film and stage actress. Early life Born Diana Blanche Barrymore Blythe in New York, New York, Diana Barrymore was t ...

was shown a special screening of this film as she had never seen her father in any of his silent films. In 1952, the film entered the

public domain in the United States Works are in the public domain if they are not covered by intellectual property rights (such as copyright) at all, or if the intellectual property rights to the works have expired. All works first published or released in the United States b ...

because Warner Bros. did not renew its

copyright registration The purpose of copyright registration is to place on record a verifiable account of the date and content of the work in question, so that in the event of a legal claim, or case of infringement or plagiarism, the copyright owner can produce a cop ...

in the 28th year after publication.. See Note #44, pg. 142.

Plot

In 1795, the cream of English aristocracy attend the wedding of "tradesman's daughter" Margery. She loves Beau Brummel, a penniless captain in the Tenth

Hussar A hussar ( , ; hu, huszár, pl, husarz, sh, husar / ) was a member of a class of light cavalry, originating in Central Europe during the 15th and 16th centuries. The title and distinctive dress of these horsemen were subsequently widely ...

s, but has been pressured into agreeing to marry Lord Alvanley, exchanging her family's wealth for social standing and a title. When Brummel comes to see her just before the wedding, she begs him to take her away, but her ambitious mother, Mrs. Wertham, intervenes, and Margery gives way. Embittered, Brummel decides to seek revenge against society using his "charm, wit and personal appearance". At a dinner given by the Prince of Wales for the officers of his regiment, the Prince is attracted to Mrs. Snodgrass, the innkeeper's wife. When Brummel rescues him from the irate husband, he takes a great liking to the captain, enabling Brummel to attach himself to His Royal Highness. By 1811, Brummel has made his house in London the "rendezvous of the smart world" and himself the arbiter of fashion. When Lord Henry Stanhope catches him dallying with his infatuated wife, a

duel A duel is an arranged engagement in combat between two people, with matched weapons, in accordance with agreed-upon Code duello, rules. During the 17th and 18th centuries (and earlier), duels were mostly single combats fought with swords (the r ...

ensues. Lord Henry misses, whereupon Brummel fires his pistol into the air. Afterward, however, Brummel informs Lady Hester Stanhope that he never loved her. She attracts the attention of the womanizing Prince. She and another enemy he has made set out to turn the Prince against him. Brummel unwittingly helps them, having become too sure of his position; he is rude to his royal friend. Brummel turns his attentions to the Duchess of York, the Prince's sister-in-law. She agrees to a late night private supper, but Lady Margery shows up first. She warns him that his enemies are hard at work; one knows about the rendezvous. The Prince arrives unannounced, expecting to find the Duchess, but is (pleasantly) surprised to find Lady Margery instead. When she rejects his initial advances, he offers to appoint Brummel the Ambassador to France. Lady Margery is delighted at the prospect, but it is all for naught. Shortly afterward, the two men quarrel openly, and neither is interested in a reconciliation. No longer able to fend off his creditors as a result of the withdrawal of the Prince's favor, Brummel flees to

Calais Calais ( , , traditionally , ) is a port city in the Pas-de-Calais department, of which it is a subprefecture. Although Calais is by far the largest city in Pas-de-Calais, the department's prefecture is its third-largest city of Arras. Th ...

to avoid going to

debtors' prison A debtors' prison is a prison for people who are unable to pay debt. Until the mid-19th century, debtors' prisons (usually similar in form to locked workhouses) were a common way to deal with unpaid debt in Western Europe.Cory, Lucinda"A Historic ...

, accompanied only by his loyal butler Mortimer. Years pass, and the Prince, now King

George IV George IV (George Augustus Frederick; 12 August 1762 – 26 June 1830) was King of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland and King of Hanover from the death of his father, King George III, on 29 January 1820, until his own death ten y ...

, stops at Calais. In his entourage is Lady Margery. Both see Brummel standing by the side of the road. Without his master's knowledge, Mortimer goes to see the King, pretending to represent Brummel in an effort to heal the breach. When Brummel finds out, he discharges Mortimer. Lady Margery comes to see Brummel in his

garret A garret is a habitable attic, a living space at the top of a house or larger residential building, traditionally, small, dismal, and cramped, with sloping ceilings. In the days before elevators this was the least prestigious position in a bu ...

. Her husband has died, and she asks him to marry her. He turns her down, saying he is too worn out and tired, perhaps even of love. After she departs, his resolution wavers, but he regains control of himself. In old age, Brummel ends up in the hospital prison of Bon Saveur. The ever-faithful Mortimer visits him, but Brummel's mind has deteriorated - he does not recognise his old servant at first. Mortimer informs him that the King has died and that Lady Margery is very ill. The scene shifts to the latter's bed. Her spirit leaves her body and travels to Brummel's cell. When Brummel also dies, their youthful souls are joyfully reunited.

Cast

as George Bryan "Beau" Brummel *

as Lady Margery Alvanley *

Willard Louis Willard Louis (April 19, 1882 – July 22, 1926) was an American stage and film actor of the silent era. He appeared in more than 80 films between 1911 and 1926. He was born in San Francisco, California. Louis had an art studio before he be ...

Prince of Wales Prince of Wales ( cy, Tywysog Cymru, ; la, Princeps Cambriae/Walliae) is a title traditionally given to the heir apparent to the English and later British throne. Prior to the conquest by Edward I in the 13th century, it was used by the rulers ...

Carmel Myers Carmel Myers (April 9, 1899 – November 9, 1980) was an American actress who achieved her greatest successes in silent film. Early life Myers was born in San Francisco, the daughter of Isidore Myers, a Russian-Jewish rabbi who was born in ...

Lady Hester Stanhope Lady Hester Lucy Stanhope (12 March 1776 – 23 June 1839) was a British aristocrat, adventurer, antiquarian, and one of the most famous travellers of her age. Her archaeological excavation of Ashkelon in 1815 is considered the first to ...

Irene Rich Irene Rich (born Irene Frances Luther; October 13, 1891 – April 22, 1988) was an American actress who worked in both silent films and talkies, as well as radio. Early life Rich was born in Buffalo, New York. At age 17, she wed Elvo Elc ...

as Frederica Charlotte, Duchess of York, sister-in-law of the Prince of Wales * Alec B. Francis as Mortimer, Brummel's butler * William Humphrey as Lord Alvanley *

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 Lord Henry Stanhope *

George Beranger George Beranger (27 March 1893 – 8 March 1973), also known as André Beranger, was an Australian silent film actor and director in Hollywood.Naturalization Records of the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of California, Centra ...

Lord Byron George Gordon Byron, 6th Baron Byron (22 January 1788 – 19 April 1824), known simply as Lord Byron, was an English romantic poet and Peerage of the United Kingdom, peer. He was one of the leading figures of the Romantic movement, and h ...

Clarissa Selwynne Clarissa Selwynne (26 February 1886 – 13 June 1948) was a British stage and film actress.Kear & King p. 143 She settled in the United States, working in Hollywood where she appeared in around 100 films. Partial filmography * '' Hearts in Exi ...

as Mrs. Wertham * John J. Richardson as Poodles Byng *

Claire de Lorez Claire de Lorez (August 12, 1895 – September 21, 1985) was an American film actress of the silent era.Goble p. 258 Partial filmography * ''The Scuttlers'' (1920) * '' The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse'' (1921) * ''The Queen of Sheba'' (19 ...

as Lady Manly * Michael Dark as Lord Manly *

Templar Saxe Templar Saxe (born Templer William Edward Edevein; August 22, 1865 – April 17, 1935) was a British-born stage actor, opera singer and silent film actor. In films, he usually was a character actor as his singing voice could not be used in silent ...

as Desmond Wertham *

James A. Marcus James A. Marcus (January 21, 1867 – October 15, 1937) was an American actor. He appeared in more than 100 films between 1915 and 1937. He was born in New York City. On October 15, 1937, Marcus died in Hollywood, California from a myocardi ...

as Snodgrass, the innkeeper *

Betty Brice Rosetta Dewart Brice (August 4, 1888 – February 15, 1935), known professionally as Betty Brice, was an American actress in many silent films. Early life Rosetta Dewart Brice was born in Sunbury, Pennsylvania, the daughter of Edward Lincoln ...

as Mrs. Snodgrass * Roland Rushton as Mr. Abrahams, a creditor of Brummel's *

Carol Holloway Carol Holloway (April 30, 1892 – January 3, 1979) was an American actress of the silent film era. She appeared in more than 110 films between 1914 and 1941. She was born in Williamstown, Massachusetts and died in California. Partial fi ...

as Kathleen, the maid *

Kate Lester Kate Lester (born Sarah Cody, 12 June 1857 – 12 October 1924) was an American theatrical and silent film actress. Her family, the Suydams of New York, were staying in Britain at the time of her birth.Who Was Who on Screen 3rd edition page ...

as Lady Miora *

Rose Dione Claudine Rosalie Gras (1 January 1877 – 1 January 1936), professionally known as Rose Dione, was a French-American actress who appeared in numerous silent era and pre-code films. She appeared in more than 60 films between 1910 and 1 ...

as Madame Bergere * C. H. Chaldecotte as Timothy * F. F. Guenste as Parkyns, valet to the Prince of Wales * Beaudine Anderson as child ''(uncredited)''

Production

Shooting on the film began in September 1923. Barrymore and Astor were conducting an affair during filming. Barrymore and Willard Louis, who played the Prince of Wales, frequently told bawdy jokes rather than say their lines, since it was a silent film. However, they did not take into account deaf audience members who could

lip read The lips are the visible body part at the mouth of many animals, including humans. Lips are soft, movable, and serve as the opening for food intake and in the articulation of sound and speech. Human lips are a tactile sensory organ, and can be ...

what they were saying. Many of these patrons wrote to complain about the actors' antics. The picture was a

remake A remake is a film, television series, video game, song or similar form of entertainment that is based upon and retells the story of an earlier production in the same medium—e.g., a "new version of an existing film". A remake tells the same ...

of a 1913 version and was in turn remade in 1954 with

Stewart Granger Stewart Granger (born James Lablache Stewart; 6 May 1913 – 16 August 1993) was a British film actor, mainly associated with heroic and romantic leading roles. He was a popular leading man from the 1940s to the early 1960s, rising to fame thr ...

Elizabeth Taylor Dame Elizabeth Rosemond Taylor (February 27, 1932 – March 23, 2011) was a British-American actress. She began her career as a child actress in the early 1940s and was one of the most popular stars of classical Hollywood cinema in the 1950s. ...

and

Peter Ustinov Sir Peter Alexander Ustinov (born Peter Alexander Freiherr von Ustinov ; 16 April 192128 March 2004) was a British actor, filmmaker and writer. An internationally known raconteur, he was a fixture on television talk shows and lecture circuits ...

, although the latter film restored the original spelling of "Brummell."

Reception

Box Office

According to Warner Bros records the film earned $453,000 domestically and $42,000 foreign.Warner Bros financial information in The William Shaefer Ledger. See Appendix 1, Historical Journal of Film, Radio and Television, (1995) 15:sup1, 1-31 p 2 DOI: 10.1080/01439689508604551

Preservation status

''Beau Brummel'' survives today in various edits, the original 135 minute release and 80 minute and 71 minute versions. The short versions usually cut

' scenes.

References

External links

* * * * *
Charlie Chaplin and Douglas Fairbanks visit Barrymore during the production
{{Harry Beaumont 1924 films American romantic drama films American silent feature films American black-and-white films 1924 romantic drama films 1920s historical romance films American films based on plays Films set in 1795 Films set in 1811 Films set in France Films set in London Films directed by Harry Beaumont American ghost films Warner Bros. films Articles containing video clips Cultural depictions of George IV Cultural depictions of Lord Byron Cultural depictions of Beau Brummell American historical romance films 1920s American films Silent romantic drama films Silent horror films Silent American drama films