The Divine Lady facts for kids
Quick facts for kids The Divine Lady |
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Theatrical release poster
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| Directed by | Frank Lloyd |
| Produced by | Frank Lloyd Walter Morosco Richard A. Rowland |
| Written by | Forrest Halsey Harry Carr (intertitles) |
| Starring | Corinne Griffith Victor Varconi H.B. Warner Ian Keith |
| Music by | Cecil Copping |
| Cinematography | John F. Seitz |
| Editing by | Hugh Bennett |
| Studio | First National Pictures |
| Distributed by | Warner Bros. |
| Release date(s) | March 31, 1929 |
| Running time | 99 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
The Divine Lady is a 1929 American film that tells the exciting story of a famous connection between Horatio Nelson, a brave British naval hero, and Emma Hamilton, a beautiful and clever lady. This movie was made during a time when films were changing from silent movies to "talkies." It's a sound film with music and sound effects, but the actors don't speak dialogue.
The film stars Corinne Griffith as Emma Hamilton. It also features a popular song from 1929 called "Lady Divine." Many artists recorded this song, making it a big hit. The movie was based on a book called The Divine Lady: A Romance of Nelson and Emma Hamilton by E. Barrington. Frank Lloyd directed the film.
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About the Movie
The Divine Lady was a special film for its time. It was one of the first movies to use Vitaphone technology. This meant it had a synchronized musical score and sound effects. This was a big step towards the talking movies we know today.
The story was written for the screen by several talented writers. These included Harry Carr, Forrest Halsey, Agnes Christine Johnston, and Edwin Justus Mayer. They worked together to bring the historical romance to life.
Awards Won
The Divine Lady won an important award. The director, Frank Lloyd, received the Academy Award for Best Director. This award recognizes the best director of a film that year.
The movie was also nominated for two other big awards. Corinne Griffith was nominated for Best Actress in a Leading Role. The film's camera work was also recognized, with a nomination for Best Cinematography.
It's interesting to note that The Divine Lady is the only film to win Best Director without also being nominated for Best Picture. This shows how much the director's work stood out.
Story of the Film
The movie takes place in the late 1700s. It follows the life of Emma Hart, who later becomes Lady Hamilton. Emma came from a very simple background. Her mother was a cook, and some wealthy people looked down on Emma. However, everyone agreed she was very beautiful and charming.
Emma's journey begins when she is sent to Naples, Italy. She is meant to live with Sir William Hamilton, who is a relative of her then-boyfriend. The idea was for her to learn how to be a proper lady. But things didn't go as planned.
Emma's Journey
Emma surprised everyone by marrying Sir William Hamilton. Their marriage was more about convenience at first. But Emma's life changed even more when she met Horatio Nelson. Nelson was a famous and brave leader in the British navy.
Emma played a key role in helping Nelson. Her actions helped his fleet win important naval battles against Napoleon's forces. Without her help, Nelson might have lost these battles. This shows how smart and helpful Emma was.
Challenges Faced
Beyond the dangers of war, Emma and Nelson faced other challenges. They had a very strong connection, but both were already committed to other people. This created difficulties for them in the eyes of the public. People had strong opinions about their relationship. The film shows how they dealt with these challenges and the public's judgment.
Main Characters
Here are the main actors and the characters they played in the film:
- Corinne Griffith as Emma Hart
- Victor Varconi as Horatio Nelson
- H. B. Warner as Sir William Hamilton
- Ian Keith as Honorable Charles Greville
- Marie Dressler as Mrs. Hart
- Montagu Love as Captain Hardy
- William Conklin as Romney
- Dorothy Cumming as Queen Maria Carolina
- Michael Vavitch as King Ferdinand
- Evelyn Hall as Georgiana Cavendish, Duchess of Devonshire
- Helen Jerome Eddy as Lady Nelson
Film Preservation
This old film is still in good condition today. Its special Vitaphone soundtrack also survives. Keeping old films like this is very important. It helps us learn about movie history and how films were made in the past.
The UCLA Film and Television Archive and the Museum of Modern Art Department of Film worked together to preserve this movie. They cooperated with the Czechoslovak Film Archive to restore it. This project was part of a bigger effort called "American Moviemakers: The Dawn of Sound."
Watching the Film Today
In 2009, the film became available on DVD. It was released by the Warner Archive Collection. This means that people can still watch and enjoy The Divine Lady today.
See also
- List of early sound feature films (1926–1929)
