''Du Barry, Woman of Passion'' is a 1930 American

pre-Code Pre-Code Hollywood was an era in the Cinema of the United States, American film industry that occurred between the widespread adoption of sound in film in the late 1920s and the enforcement of the Motion Picture Production Code censorship gui ...

dramatic film starring

Norma Talmadge Norma Marie Talmadge (May 2, 1894 – December 24, 1957) was an American actress and film producer of the silent film, 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 ...

, produced by her husband

Joseph Schenck Joseph Michael Schenck (; December 25, 1876 – October 22, 1961) was a Russian-born American film studio executive. Life and career Schenck was born to a Jewish family in Rybinsk, Yaroslavl Oblast, Russian Empire. He emigrated to New York Cit ...

, released through

United Artists United Artists (UA) is an American film production and film distribution, distribution company owned by Amazon MGM Studios. In its original operating period, it was founded in February 1919 by Charlie Chaplin, D. W. Griffith, Mary Pickford an ...

, and based on a 1901 stage play ''Du Barry'' written and produced by David Belasco and starring Mrs. Leslie Carter. This film is the second talking picture of silent star Talmadge and also her last motion picture. Prints of this film survive in the

Library of Congress The Library of Congress (LOC) is a research library in Washington, D.C., serving as the library and research service for the United States Congress and the ''de facto'' national library of the United States. It also administers Copyright law o ...

Plot

In the 18th century

Kingdom of France The Kingdom of France is the historiographical name or umbrella term given to various political entities of France in the Middle Ages, medieval and Early modern France, early modern period. It was one of the most powerful states in Europe from th ...

, Cosse de Brissac, a private in the King's Guard, meets Jeannette Vaubernier when she gets stuck in a pond. He frees her and is charmed by her beauty and spirit. She talks about how she dislikes working in a

millinery Hat-making or millinery is the design, manufacture and sale of hats and other headwear. A person engaged in this trade is called a milliner or hatter. Historically, milliners made and sold a range of accessories for clothing and hairstyles. ...

shop, but loves beautiful things, wealth, and the prospect of being in love. Cosse and Jeannette begin courting. However, their relationship is put in jeopardy when Jeannette is hired to be an "attraction" at the opulent gambling house that

aristocrats Aristocracy (; ) is a form of government that places power in the hands of a small, privileged ruling class, the aristocrats. Across Europe, the aristocracy exercised immense economic, political, and social influence. In Western Christian co ...

frequent. She gains the admiration of multiple high-ranking noblemen, and

King Louis XV Louis XV (15 February 1710 – 10 May 1774), known as Louis the Beloved (), was King of France from 1 September 1715 until his death in 1774. He succeeded his great-grandfather Louis XIV at the age of five. Until he reached maturity (then defi ...

is intrigued by her reputation. Despite Cosse disapproving of Jeannette's new employment, he proposes marriage, which she accepts. The King meets Jeannette while he is disguised as a messenger. When she tries to leave the gambling house, she is stopped by the conniving Count Jean Du Barry, who sees her as his ticket to greater wealth and the King's court. As Jeannette fights Du Barry off, the King is excited by her fiery temperament. He removes his disguise and declares his love, offering her the position of his favorite mistress. Cosse overhears this and, mistakenly believing Jeannette has already accepted the offer, he angrily breaks off the engagement. Jeannette becomes the King's mistress and moves into his palace. Count Du Barry claims that she now needs a title, and he offers to sell his exiled brother's title to her. She refuses but, nonetheless, Jeannette becomes known as "the Countess Du Barry." She spends money extravagantly and amasses a collection of jewels. The King knows that she is still in love with Cosse, and he insists that she forget him as he will never return to her. Jeannette meets with the Duc de Brissac, who is both Captain of the King's Guard and Cosse's father. She asks about Cosse, and the Duc replies that he has likely died, but his whereabouts are unknown. The Duc further informs her that there is starvation in France and commoners hate Jeannette for living an aristocratic lifestyle. Finally, he claims that the last words Cosse spoke to him expressed hate towards her. The distraught Jeannette decides to get rid of her jewels. Meanwhile, the King's advisors beg him to repeal the

Pacte de Famine The ''Pacte de Famine'' (, ''Famine Pact'') was a conspiracy theory adopted by many living in France during the 18th century. It held that foods, especially grain, were intentionally withheld from them for the benefit of privileged interest groups ...

to curb the growing rebellion. The King refuses to do so. The Duc discovers that Cosse is alive and has become the leader of the rebellion. The King is shocked to learn this, as he imprisoned Cosse months prior. When a mob tries to storm the palace, a wounded Cosse enters Jeannette's room and she hides him in her bed. He tells her that he became a rebel due to his false imprisonment by the jealous King. Soldiers arrive to search Jeannette's room and the Duc finds Cosse. Jeannette is horrified that the Duc would betray his own son, but he holds firm in his loyalty to "King and God." The King holds a grand party, during which he plans to publicly execute Cosse. The King announces that the Duc killed himself shortly after handing over his son. To save Cosse's life, Jeannette declares her loyalty and love for the King. However, she cannot keep up the charade and breaks down crying. Cosse claims he will bravely face death knowing that she truly loves him. As the soldiers prepare to execute him, Jeanette opens the palace gates and lets in the angry mob. In the midst of the chaos, Cosse escapes. During the French Revolution, Jeanette is imprisoned due to her connection to the

ancien régime ''Ancien'' may refer to * the French word for " ancient, old" ** Société des anciens textes français * the French for "former, senior" ** Virelai ancien ** Ancien Régime ** Ancien Régime in France {{disambig ...

. She is condemned to death, but remains hopeful that Cosse will fetch her once she is pardoned. However, he is unable to overturn her sentence. He renounces his loyalty to the

French Republic France, officially the French Republic, is a country located primarily in Western Europe. Overseas France, Its overseas regions and territories include French Guiana in South America, Saint Pierre and Miquelon in the Atlantic Ocean#North Atlan ...

so they may be executed together.

Cast

- Jeannette Vaubernier, aka

Madame du Barry Jeanne Bécu, comtesse du Barry (; 28 August 1744 – 8 December 1793) was the last ''maîtresse-en-titre'' of King Louis XV of France. She was executed by guillotine during the French Revolution on accusations of treason—particularly being ...

* William Farnum -

Louis XV Louis XV (15 February 1710 – 10 May 1774), known as Louis the Beloved (), was King of France from 1 September 1715 until his death in 1774. He succeeded his great-grandfather Louis XIV at the age of five. Until he reached maturity (then defi ...

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 Honorary Academy Award in 1940, a ...

- Cosse de Brissac *

Hobart Bosworth Hobart Van Zandt Bosworth (August 11, 1867 – December 30, 1943) was an American film actor, director, writer, and producer. Bosworth began his career in theater, eventually transitioning to the emerging film industry. Despite a battle with ...

- Duc de Brissac * Ullrich Haupt - Jean Du Barry *

Alison Skipworth Alison Skipworth (born Alison Mary Elliott Margaret Groom; 25 July 18635 July 1952) was an English stage and screen actress. Early years Skipworth was born in London. She was the daughter of Dr. Richard Ebenezer Groom and Elizabeth Rodgers, an ...

- La Gourdan * E. Allyn Warren - Denys *

Edgar Norton Edgar Norton (born Harry Edgar Mills; August 11, 1868 – February 6, 1953) was an English-born American character actor. Early years Norton was born in Islington in London, England, on August 11, 1868, as Harry Edgar Mills, one of eight childr ...

- Renal * Edwin Maxwell - Maupeou *

Henry Kolker Joseph Henry Kolker (November 13, 1874 – July 15, 1947) was an American stage and film actor and film director, director. Early years Kolker was born in Berlin, Germany, in 1874. (Some sources say 1870.) He came to America at age five and w ...

- D'Aiguillon *

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 Ap ...

- Uncredited *

Eugenie Besserer Eugenie Besserer ( – May 29, 1934) was a French-American actress who starred in silent films and features of the early sound motion-picture era, beginning in 1910. Her most prominent role is that of the title character's mother in the first ...

- Rosalie the Prison Matron *Earle Browne - Stage Director * Knute Erickson - Jailer * Cissy Fitzgerald - Bit role *

Clark Gable William Clark Gable (February 1, 1901November 16, 1960) was an American actor often referred to as the "King of Cinema of the United States, Hollywood". He appeared in more than 60 Film, motion pictures across a variety of Film genre, genres dur ...

- Extra * Lucille La Verne - Bit role *

Tom Ricketts Thomas B. Ricketts (15 January 1853 – 19 January 1939) was an English-born American stage actor, stage and motion picture, film actor and film director, director who was a pioneer in the film industry. He portrayed Ebenezer Scrooge in the fi ...

- King's Aide *

Tom Santschi Paul William "Tom" Santschi (October 24, 1880 – April 9, 1931) was an American leading man and character actor of the silent film era. Personal life Santschi was born in Missouri to Paul Santschi, a Swiss immigrant, and Margaret Kern, a nat ...

- Bit role *

Michael Visaroff Michael Simeon Visaroff (born Mikhail Semenonovich Vizarov (Russian: Михаил Семёнович Визаров); December 18, 1889 – February 27, 1951) was a Russian-born character actor, who worked in the United States on stage and s ...

- Bit

Reception

The film received mixed reviews. ''Movie Age'' deemed the film tame and "only moderately entertaining." '' Screenland'' praised Talmadge as "splendid." '' Photoplay Magazine'' picked out William Farnum's role as Louis XV as one of the best performances of the year. ''

Motion Picture News The ''Motion Picture News'' was an American film industry trade paper published from 1913 to 1930. History The publication was created through the 1913 merger of the ''Moving Picture News'' founded in 1908 and ''The Exhibitors' Times'', founde ...

'' wrote that the film had done well at the box office, and Farnum's performance had been praised, despite the screenplay being considered weak.

References

External links

''Du Barry, Woman of Passion'' at IMDB AllMovie entryEuropean release poster of the movie
{{DEFAULTSORT:Du Barry, Woman of Passion 1930 films 1930s historical romance films 1930 romantic drama films American romantic drama films American black-and-white films American films based on plays Films directed by Sam Taylor Films produced by Joseph M. Schenck Films set in the 18th century Films set in Paris Films with screenplays by Sam Taylor (director) United Artists films Remakes of American films Sound film remakes of silent films Cultural depictions of Madame du Barry Works about Louis XV American historical romance films 1930s English-language films 1930s American films English-language romantic drama films English-language historical romance films

Plot

Cast

Reception

See also

References

External links