John Francis Dillon

A young woman marries a philanderer, divorces him, and raises their daughter alone while navigating the compromises of love and independence through the Jazz Age and the Depression. Helen Twelvetrees stars with Joan Blondell in this pre-Code adaptation of Donald Henderson Clarke's novel. The film entered the public domain through non-renewal.

Drama · Romance

A 1929 American pre-Code musical film directed by John Francis Dillon, starring Marilyn Miller, Alexander Gray, and Joe E. Brown. Sally Green (Miller) is an orphan who was named by the telephone exchange where she was abandoned as a baby. In the orphanage, she discovered the joy of dancing. Working as a waitress, she goes from job to job until she finds a job that also allows her to dance. At the restaurant, she meets Blair Farquar (Gray) and they fall for each other, but Blair is engaged to Marcia. Sally is hired to impersonate a famous Russian dancer in her Broadway debut. Based on the Broadway stage hit produced by Florenz Ziegfeld, the film retains three of the stage production's Jerome Kern songs, including "Look for the Silver Lining." Miller, who had played the leading part on Broadway, was hired by Warner Bros. for a reported $100,000. The film was shot entirely in Technicolor Process 3 and was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Art Direction.

Musical · Comedy · Romance