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This is a vintage original 10 x 12 in. US double-weight deluxe matte photograph from the classic 1920's silent film historical drama/romance, BEAU BRUMMEL, released in 1924 by Warner Bros. and directed by Harry Beaumont. Based upon the play by Clyde Fitch, George Bryan Brummel (John Barrymore), a British military officer, loves Lady Margery (Mary Astor), the betrothed of Lord Alvanley (William Humphrey). Despite her own desperate love for Brummel, she submits to family pressure and marries Lord Alvanley. Brummel, broken-hearted, embarks upon a life of revelry. He befriends the Prince of Wales (Willard Louis) and leaves the army, becoming subsequently the best-known rake and decider of fashion in Europe. As his affairs flourish, so does his disdain for his benefactor, the Prince. Eventually, Brummel falls into disfavor, and it is only Lady Margery who has any chance of helping him. The cast includes Carmel Myers, Irene Rich, Alec B. Francis, Richard Tucker, and George Beranger.
The image features an interior close shot of George Bryan Brummel (John Barrymore) making love to the beautiful, and married, Lady Hester Stanhope (Carmel Myers), who is in love with Brummel. This vintage original deluxe double-weight photograph was printed for display at Miller's Theatre in downtown Los Angeles (see accompanying photo, which does not come with this lot). Printed on a beautiful textured paper stock, it is in very fine condition with a tiny hole in the credits from to the right of the "e" in "Barrymore" and a light curl along the right edge. There are no tears, pinholes, stains, or other flaws.
During filming, John Barrymore and Willard Louis would replace their scripted dialogue with dirty jokes and foul language, thinking no one would notice in a silent film. However, this was a time when deaf people could comfortably go to the movies and many of them were quite adept at reading lips. As a result, the studio received thousands of letters of complaint. At the Christmas party at York House, two African children appear in a story otherwise told with an all-white cast. The boys are slaves. Slavery was not abolished in the UK until 1833. Although abducted from their African parents, these boys are seen dressed in Indian-style tunics and turbans, as Brits of the day casually mixed-up their colonial possessions for fantasy effect. Fancifully-attired slave boys were popular with the wealthy of Britain, who used them as functional decorations. Miller's Theatre of Los Angeles opened on November 1, 1913 by Fred A. Miller. It's in the 1914 through 1918 city directories as Miller's Theatre. When Miller also had the Alhamnbra on Hill St. (around 1915-16), this theatre was known as Miller's Main Street. Miller's was on the east side of the street just north of 9th in (or rather, behind) the Greenwood Hotel building, later known as the Argyle Hotel then the Hampshire Hotel. The photo was taken in 1915 by G. Haven Bishop for the Southern California Edison Co. |