Lawrence Gray Movies

Lois Moran stars as Joan Robinson, the chorus-girl daughter of blue-collar workers Ma and Pa Robinson (Edythe Chapman and James Neill). Hoping to supplement the family income, Ma Robinson takes in a boarder, a struggling young writer named Tom Harvey (Lawrence Gray). When Joan returns from a grueling road tour in the company of her brassy chorine pal Mamie (Marjorie Beebe), Tom instantly falls in love with the girl -- so much so that he's even willing to put up with the abrasive Mamie. But Joan has dedicated herself to finding a rich sugar-daddy husband, and wants nothing to do with Tom. Perhaps in retaliation, Tom pens a story which suggests that one can be happy and contented on a salary of forty dollars a week. This rouses the ire of the mercenary Joan and Mamie, but Tom suspects that Joan is merely trying to convince herself of something she doesn't believe. To prove this, Tom arranges for Joan to meet his millionaire friend Lonnie Van Hook (John Patrick). Sure enough, Joan decides at long last that there are some things more important than money, at which point she also realizes that she's in love with Tom. As for Mamie -- well, old habits die hard. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Next to Show People, The Patsy may well be Marion Davies' best silent vehicle. Based on a hit Broadway play, this modern Cinderella story casts Davies as Patsy Harrington, the drudge of her social-climbing family. Secretly in love with Tony Anderson (Orville Caldwell), the boyfriend of her irresponsible but irresistible sister Grace (Jane Winton), Patsy yearns to be a "personality girl." Rather than cultivate her looks, she decides to become the "intellectual" of her family, which outrages her mother (Marie Dressler) who believes that beauty and brains don't mix. Meanwhile, the fickle Grace begins cheating on Tony with a millionaire named Bill (Lawrence Gray). For Tony's sake, the "new" Patsy throws herself at Grace's new beau, hoping to break up the romance. The whole affair ends, predictably but hilariously with Tony falling in love with Patsy! Best scene: sitting by a mirror, Davies impersonates Lillian Gish, Mae Murray and Pola Negri -- which reportedly infuriated Murray and Negri but delighted Gish. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Based on a play by George Abbott and John V.A. Weaver, Love 'Em and Leave 'Em stars Evelyn Brent and Louise Brooks as sisters in competition over the affections of Lawrence Gray. One sister covers for the other when a large amount of money is stolen, but her selflessness is rewarded when "bad" sis steals Gray away. Things eventually get straightened out, no thanks to would-be seducer Osgood Perkins, who, as the title tells us, "spent three years curing himself of halitosis, only to find out that he was unpopular anyway." The two leading ladies are far more interesting than the vapid hero, who spends half his time looking cow-eyed or comporting about in a silly party costume. Louise Brooks would later recall that director Frank Tuttle didn't inform her that the film was a comedy; he wanted her to play the material straight, which turned to be most effective. Love 'Em and Leave 'Em was remade as a talkie starring Clara Bow and Jean Arthur, 1929's The Saturday Night Kid. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Victor Heerman wore two creative hats during the filming of Ladies Must Dress; not only did he direct the picture, but he also dreamed up the storyline. Virginia Valli stars as Eve, the plain-Jane secretary of George Ward Jr. (Lawrence Grey). Secretly in love with her boss, Eve can only sit on the sidelines and sigh as Joe squires one gorgeous socialite after another. The girl's worldly best friend Mazie (Nancy Carroll) suggests that Eve change her wardrobe and makeup if she ever wants to win her man. Sure enough, the caterpillar becomes a butterfly, and soon George Ward Jr. is vying with handsome office boy Joe (Lawrence Gray) for Eve's attentions. And yes, the heroine does remove her glasses to reveal her long-suppressed beauty! ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Telephone operator Kitty O'Brien (Madge Bellamy) can't help but get involved in the problems of her customers. Right now she is concerning herself with the well-being of Tom Blake (Lawrence Gray), the honest son of crooked political boss Jim Blake (Holbrook Blinn). Through her intervention, Kitty clears the sullied name of Blake's political opponent Matthew Standish (Warner Baxter). Grateful that his father has been saved from himself, Tom marries Kitty in the finale. Telephone Girl was directed by Herbert Brenon, a former specialist in expensive epics who did some of his best work in quiet, unassuming films such as this one. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Madge Bellamy plays a vivacious clothes model in Ankles Preferred. Tired of being appreciated only for her beauty, Bellamy sets out to prove that she's got brains as well. This leads to a number of comic mishaps, ranging from a tussle with an amorous financier to a zany car chase. In the end, she causes feminist teeth to gnash all over the country by deciding that good looks are infinitely preferrable to intelligence. Three writers worked on the screenplay of Ankles Preferred--all men. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

This sentimental comedy begins when four middle-aged actors jointly adopt an orphaned baby girl, raising her in a backstage milieu. The girl grows up to become Doris Poole (Betty Bronson), and it is hoped by her foster daddies that she will become an actress herself. When Doris falls in love with wealthy Ted Potter (Lawrence Gray), her four surrogate parents stage an elaborate charade to convince Ted's snobbish mother Anastasia (Louise Dresser) that Doris is of good breeding. The girl wants no part of the hoax and confesses all to Ted's mom, whereupon Ted is bundled off to Europe "for his own good." But the four adoptive fathers arrange another little "drama" to get Doris on board Ted's ship. Ziegfeld Follies headliner Raymond Hitchcock steals the show (no small task in this ham-infested effort) as a phony butler. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

The Palm Beach Girl is Emily Bennett (Bebe Daniels), the poor Iowa relation of wealthy Florida dowager Aunt Jerry (Josephine Drake). Invited to spend the winter with her aunt, Emily boards the southbound train; en route, her face is blackened by a passing tugboat, compelling her to ride in the "Jim Crow" car with the African American passengers (this egregious example of de facto segregation is treated as a joke in this film!) Upon arriving in Palm Beach, Emily is given the cold shoulder by her snooty relatives and doesn't make matters any better with her unintentionally boorish behavior. Ultimately, she gives up high society in favor of handsome motor-boat mechanic Jack Trotter (Lawrence Grey), helping the boy win an important boat race and simultaneously showing up the snobs for the phonies that they are. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

A fresh-faced waitress and a celebrity-obsessed cook enter into a warmhearted romance in this tender love story starring Gloria Swanson and Lawrence Gray. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide

Although she is largely remembered for her lavish screen outfits and highly dramatic vehicles, Gloria Swanson started off her career as a comedienne, and even at the height of her fame, she sometimes performed in films that played down her wardrobe and emphasized her comic ability. Stage Struck, parts of which were shot on location in New Martinsville, WV, is one of her funny mid-'20s vehicles. Although a bit light in the plot department, the film also has a great supporting cast, including ex-Mack Sennett star Ford Sterling and the highly capable and very statuesque Gertrude Astor. To please the fans who did want to see some glamour, the picture starts off with Swanson's character, Jenny Hagen, daydreaming that she has become another Sarah Bernhardt. The sequence (shot in color) fades to reveal that Jenny is really a waitress in a diner. Her boyfriend is Orme Wilson (Lawrence Gray), the head cook, and her real dream is that they will one day have their own eatery. But Wilson has one weakness -- his fascination with actresses. A riverboat theater comes to town, and he has a flirtation with its star, Lillian Lyons (Astor). Desperate to keep her man, Jenny convinces the manager of the floating theater, Waldo Buck (Sterling), to allow her to go on-stage. He introduces her as the "Masked Marvel" and sets her up in a boxing match with Lillian. Instead of being enthralled, Wilson is disgusted, so Jenny, in despair, attempts to throw herself overboard. Instead, her bloomers catch on a hook, leaving her suspended in midair. While she's hanging there, she and Wilson straighten things out, and by the time he rescues her, they have made up. ~ Janiss Garza, All Movie Guide