Lobby card ''Dancing Mothers'' is a 1926 American black and white silent

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 ...

produced by Paramount Pictures. The film was directed by Herbert Brenon, and stars Alice Joyce, Conway Tearle, and making her debut appearance for a Paramount Pictures film, Clara Bow. ''Dancing Mothers'' was released to the general public on March 1, 1926. The film tells the story of a pretty mother, who was almost cheated out of life by a heartless husband and a thoughtless daughter. The film survives on 16mm film stock and is currently kept at the

UCLA Film and Television Archive The UCLA Film & Television Archive is a visual arts organization focused on the preservation, study, and appreciation of film and television, based at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA). Also a nonprofit exhibition venue, the archiv ...

Plot

As described in a film magazine review, a wealthy woman, whose daughter is carrying on a flirtation with a notorious man, steps between them, but finds that she herself is fascinated by the man. There follows a period of stress for both the older woman and her daughter, which ends with the daughter altering her mode of living and the mother deciding to leave her philandering husband and daughter and travel to Europe to forget.

Cast

Alice Joyce Alice Joyce Brown ( Joyce; October 1, 1890 – October 9, 1955) was an American actress who appeared in more than 200 films during the 1910s and 1920s. She is known for her roles in the 1923 film '' The Green Goddess'' and its 1930 remake of ...

as Ethel "Buddy" Westcourt (played by Mary Young in play) *

Norman Trevor Norman Gilbert Pritchard (23 June 1875 – 30 October 1929), also known by his stage name Norman Trevor, was a British-Indian athlete and actor who became the first Asian-born athlete to win an Olympic medal when he won two silver medals in a ...

as Hugh Westcourt (played by Henry Stephenson in play) *

Clara Bow Clara Gordon Bow (; July 29, 1905 – September 27, 1965) was an American actress who rose to stardom during the silent film era of the 1920s and successfully made the transition to "talkies" in 1929. Her appearance as a plucky shopgirl in the ...

as Catherine "Kittens" Westcourt (played by

Helen Hayes Helen Hayes MacArthur ( Brown; October 10, 1900 – March 17, 1993) was an American actress whose career spanned 80 years. She eventually received the nickname "First Lady of American Theatre" and was the second person and first woman to have w ...

in play) *

Conway Tearle Conway Tearle (born Frederick Conway Levy, May 17, 1878 – October 1, 1938) was an American stage actor who went on to perform in silent and early sound films. Early life Tearle was born on May 17, 1878, in New York City, the son of the ...

as Gerald "Jerry" Naughton (played by John Halliday in play) *Eleanor Lawson as Irma (played also by Lawson in play; under the name Elsie Lawson) * Dorothy Cumming as Mrs. Mazzarene * Donald Keith as Kenneth Cobb * Leila Hyams as Birdey Courtney * Spencer Charters as Butter and Egg Man

Production

''Dancing Mothers'' was adapted from a successful Broadway stage play by Edgar Selwyn and Edmund Goulding, and Paramount reportedly bought the rights for $45,000. On Broadway the principal parts had been played by

as the daughter, John Halliday as the father, and Mary Young as the mother. Shooting began at Paramount's Astoria Studio in November 1925, after actress

Betty Bronson Elizabeth Ada Bronson (November 17, 1906 – October 19, 1971) was an American film and television actress who began her career during the silent film era. Early years Bronson was born in Trenton, New Jersey, to Frank and Nellie Smith Bronso ...

, the star of '' Peter Pan'' (1924), was cast for the role of Katherine "Kittens" Westcourt by the studio, but was rejected after director Herbert Brennon reported to studio executives that "when she tried to be sexy, she looked like a little girl who wanted to go to the bathroom." After production ended in December 1925, Brennon reported to Paramount's top officials that Clara was not only very talented as an actress, but that she took direction very well.

Reception

Reviews of the film tended to be positive: * "A splendid picture containing mother appeal, flapper appeal and well balanced with comedy and a climax that's different, since 'they don't live happy ever after'". * "...it is an effective drama, well acted and Clara Bow is a real little modern." * "It is a picture that strikes home to the adult mind and is a tremendous indictment to every age."''Lowell Sun'', March 27, 1926.

References

External links

* *
Lobby poster
{{DEFAULTSORT:Dancing Mothers 1926 films 1926 drama films Silent American drama films American silent feature films American films based on plays Films directed by Herbert Brenon Paramount Pictures films American black-and-white films 1920s American films