''The Waning Sex'' is a 1926 American silent

romantic comedy Romantic comedy (also known as romcom or rom-com) is a subgenre of comedy and slice of life fiction, focusing on lighthearted, humorous plot lines centered on romantic ideas, such as how true love is able to surmount most obstacles. In a typica ...

film directed by

Robert Z. Leonard Robert Zigler Leonard (October 7, 1889 – August 27, 1968) was an American film director, actor, producer, and screenwriter. Biography He was born in Chicago, Illinois. At one time, he was married to silent star Mae Murray with the two formin ...

. Based on the 1923 play of the same name by Fanny and Frederic Hatton, the film starred

Norma Shearer Edith Norma Shearer (August 11, 1902June 12, 1983) was a Canadian-American actress who was active on film from 1919 through 1942. Shearer often played spunky, sexually liberated ingénues. She appeared in adaptations of Noël Coward, Eugene O'N ...

and

Conrad Nagel John Conrad Nagel (March 16, 1897 – February 24, 1970) was an American film, stage, television and radio actor. He was considered a famous matinée idol and leading man of the 1920s and 1930s. He was given an Academy Honorary Award in 1940 and ...

Synopsis

Nina Duane (Norma Shearer) is a criminal lawyer whose gender is professionally resented by Philip Barry (Conrad Nagel), the District Attorney. She wins acquittal for man-chasing widow Mary Booth (Mary McAllister), then defeats her in romancing the D.A.

Cast

Preservation

Prints of ''The Waning Sex'' currently exists in the film archives of 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 Centre national du cinéma et de l'image animée in

Fort de Bois-d'Arcy The Fort de Bois-d'Arcy, also called the Batterie de Bois-d'Arcy, is one of the forts constructed at the end of the 19th century to defend Paris. It is located in the commune of Bois d'Arcy in the Yvelines département of France. The fort is loc ...

, France.Library of Congress American Silent Feature Film Survival Database: ''The Waning Sex''
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References

External links

* *
Lobby card and stills
at normashearer.com * 1926 films 1926 romantic comedy films American romantic comedy films American silent feature films American black-and-white films Films directed by Robert Z. Leonard American films based on plays Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer films Films with screenplays by F. Hugh Herbert 1920s American films Silent romantic comedy films Silent American comedy films {{1920s-silent-comedy-film-stub