''Romance of the Underworld'' is a 1928 American 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 and distributed by

Fox Film Corporation The Fox Film Corporation (also known as Fox Studios) was an American Independent film production studio formed by William Fox (1879–1952) in 1915, by combining his earlier Greater New York Film Rental Company and Box Office Attractions Film ...

. Directed by

Irving Cummings Irving Caminsky (October 9, 1888 – April 18, 1959) was an American movie actor and director. Career Born in New York City, Cummings started his acting career at age 16 in ''Diplomacy''. His Broadway, performances included ''In the Long R ...

and starring

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 ...

, it was based upon a stage play called ''A Romance of the Underworld'' by Paul Armstrong. A previous version of the story was filmed as ''A Romance of the Underworld'' in 1918 by director James Kirkwood with

Catherine Calvert Catherine Calvert (born Catherine Cassidy; April 20, 1890 – January 18, 1971) was an American actress. Biography The daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Robert Cassidy, Catherine Calvert was born and raised in Baltimore, Maryland.Hines, Dixie; Hanafo ...

in Astor's part. Romance_of_the_Underworld_1918

Cast

as Judith Andrews *

Ben Bard Ben Bard (January 26, 1893 – May 17, 1974) was an American movie actor, stage actor, and acting teacher. With comedian Jack Pearl, Bard worked in a comedy duo in vaudeville. In 1926, Bard, Pearl, and Sascha Beaumont appeared in a short fil ...

as Derby Dan Manning * Robert Elliott as Edwin Burke * John Boles as Stephen Ransome *

Oscar Apfel Oscar C. Apfel (January 17, 1878 – March 21, 1938) was an American film actor, director, screenwriter and producer. He appeared in more than 160 films between 1913 and 1939, and also directed 94 films between 1911 and 1927. Biography Apf ...

as Champagne Joe *

Helen Lynch Helen Lynch (April 6, 1900 – March 2, 1965) was an American silent film actress, mainly known for her roles playing gun molls and other morally dubious characters. Biography Lynch was born in 1900 in Billings, Montana, where she was also rai ...

as Blonodie Nell * William H. Tooker as Asa Jenks Uncredited roles: * William Benge as Bartender *

Maurice Black Maurice Black (January 14, 1891 – January 18, 1938) was an American character actor known for his portrayal of mobsters. He appeared in more than 100 films from 1928 to 1938, when he died of pneumonia, four days after his 47th birthday. ...

as Maitre D' * Sherry Hall as Pianist * John Kelly as window cleaner

Censorship considerations

The

Motion Picture Producers and Distributors of America The Motion Picture Association (MPA) is an American trade association representing the five major film studios of the United States, as well as the video streaming service Netflix. Founded in 1922 as the Motion Picture Producers and Distribu ...

, formed by the film industry in 1922, regulated the content of films through a list of subjects that were to be avoided. While Mary Astor portrayed a prostitute in ''Romance of the Underworld'', this was acceptable as prostitution was not explicitly barred so long as it was not forced (i.e.,

white slavery White slavery (also white slave trade or white slave trafficking) refers to the slavery of Europeans, whether by non-Europeans (such as West Asians and North Africa, North Africans), or by other Europeans (for example naval galley slaves or th ...

) and aspects of her work was not shown in the film. Here the work of Astor's character is ambiguously described as being a "hostess."

Preservation

''Romance of the Underworld'' is extant at the

Museum of Modern Art The Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) is an art museum located in Midtown Manhattan, New York City, on 53rd Street between Fifth and Sixth Avenues. It plays a major role in developing and collecting modern art, and is often identified as one of ...

. And also in a European archive.The Library of Congress/FIAF American Silent Feature Film Survival Catalog:''Romance of the Underworld''
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References

External links

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Lobby poster
1928 films Fox Film films American romantic drama films American silent feature films American films based on plays Films directed by Irving Cummings American gangster films American black-and-white films 1928 romantic drama films 1920s American films Silent romantic drama films Silent American drama films {{silent-romantic-drama-film-stub