''The Locked Door'' is a 1929 American

pre-Code Pre-Code Hollywood was the brief era in the 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 censorship guidelines, popularly known ...

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 ...

directed by

George Fitzmaurice George Fitzmaurice (13 February 1885 – 13 June 1940) was a French-born film director and producer. Career Fitzmaurice's career first started as a set designer on stage. Beginning in 1914, and continuing until his death in 1940, he directed ...

, and starring Rod LaRocque, Barbara Stanwyck, William "Stage" Boyd and

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 ...

. It is based on the 1919 play ''The Sign on the Door'' by Channing Pollock. The play was first adapted for the screen in 1921 as ''

The Sign on the Door ''The Sign on the Door'' is a 1921 American silent film, silent drama film starring Norma Talmadge and Lew Cody. The film was directed and written by Herbert Brenon, and based upon the 1919 play of the same name by Channing Pollock (writer), Chan ...

'', starring

Norma Talmadge Norma Marie Talmadge (May 2, 1894 – December 24, 1957) was an American actress and film producer of the silent era. A major box-office draw for more than a decade, her career reached a peak in the early 1920s, when she ranked among the most pop ...

.White Munden 1997 pp.715-716 It was Stanwyck's first starring role and first talking film.

Plot

Ann Carter, an inexperienced young woman, accepts an invitation to dinner from her employer's son, Frank Devereaux. The date turns out to be far from what she expects. It is aboard a "rum boat", a ship sailing beyond the

12 mile limit The term territorial waters is sometimes used informally to refer to any area of water over which a sovereign state has jurisdiction, including internal waters, the territorial sea, the contiguous zone, the exclusive economic zone, and potent ...

to get around the restrictions of

Prohibition Prohibition is the act or practice of forbidding something by law; more particularly the term refers to the banning of the manufacture, storage (whether in barrels or in bottles), transportation, sale, possession, and consumption of alcohol ...

. Worse, Frank turns out to be a cad. When she tries to leave, he locks the door and tries to force himself on her, tearing her dress. The ship drifts back into U.S. waters and a police raid stops him from going any further. When a photographer takes a picture of the two under arrest, Frank buys it from him. Eighteen months later, Ann is happily married to wealthy Lawrence Reagan. They are about to celebrate their first wedding anniversary when Frank resurfaces in Ann's life, this time as the boyfriend of her naive young sister-in-law, Helen. Though both Ann and her husband tell Helen that Frank is bad, as Lawrence knows that Frank is having an affair with the wife of one of his friends, it is clear to Ann that Helen does not believe them. Ann goes to the apartment to stop him from taking advantage of Helen. She hides when Lawrence shows up unexpectedly. He warns Frank to leave town before Lawrence's friend catches up with him and shoots him. Frank had already planned to go, but when Lawrence declares that he intends to administer a beating first, Frank draws a gun. He is shot in the ensuing struggle. Lawrence leaves without being seen, unaware that his wife has heard the whole thing. To protect her husband, Ann phones the switchboard operator and reenacts her earlier assault, ending with her firing two shots. When the police arrive, the district attorney soon pokes holes in her story. Also, the photograph is found, providing a motive for murder. However, Frank lives long enough to explain what happened, exonerating both Ann and Lawrence.

Cast

* Rod LaRocque as Frank Devereaux * Barbara Stanwyck as Ann Carter * William "Stage" Boyd as Lawrence Reagan *

as Helen Reagan *

Harry Stubbs Harry Oakes Stubbs (December 7, 1874 – May 9, 1950) was an English-born American character actor, who appeared both on Broadway and in films. He was born on December 7, 1874 in Southampton, Hampshire, England. Stubbs immigrated from England ...

as the Waiter * Harry Mestayer as the District Attorney *

Mack Swain Mack Swain (born Moroni Swain; February 16, 1876 – August 25, 1935) was an early American film actor, who appeared in many of Mack Sennett’s comedies at Keystone Studios, including the Keystone Cops series. He also appeared in major fea ...

as the Hotel Proprietor *

ZaSu Pitts Zasu Pitts (; January 3, 1894 – June 7, 1963) was an American actress who starred in many silent dramas, including Erich von Stroheim's epic 1924 silent film ''Greed'', and comedies, transitioning successfully to mostly comedy films with the ...

as the Telephone Girl *

George Bunny George Bunny (July 13, 1867 – April 16, 1952) was an American actor. Biography The brother of actor John Bunny, he began his career during the silent era and benefited from the name recognition of his famous brother—according to the fil ...

as the Valet *

Purnell Pratt Purnell Pratt (October 20, 1885 – July 25, 1941) was an American film actor. He appeared in more than 110 films between 1914 and 1941. He was born in Bethel, Illinois and died in Hollywood, California. Partial filmography * ''The Great ...

as Police officer *

Edgar Dearing Edgar Dearing (May 4, 1893 – August 17, 1974) was an American actor who became heavily type cast as a motorcycle cop in Hollywood films. Biography Born in 1893, Dearing started in silent comedy shorts for Hal Roach, including several with La ...

as Policeman *

Lita Chevret Lita Chevret (May 27, 1908 – May 23, 2001) was an American actress who began her career at the genesis of sound films. She appeared in over 60 films between 1929 and 1940, although in most of those she had small or non-billed parts. Life Chev ...

as Rum boat girl

References

External links

* *
Progressive Silent Film List: ''The Locked Door''
at silentera.com *
Stills
at barbara-stanwyck.com {{DEFAULTSORT:Locked Door, The 1929 films 1929 drama films American drama films American black-and-white films American films based on plays Films directed by George Fitzmaurice United Artists films 1920s English-language films 1920s American films