Adolphe Menjou Movies

This first film version of Ernest Hemingway's novel A Farewell to Arms stars Gary Cooper and Helen Hayes. Cooper plays Lt. Frederick Henry, a World War I officer who falls in love with English Red Cross nurse Catherine Barkley (Hayes)-after first mistaking her for a woman of ill repute. Henry's friend, Major Rinaldi, is envious of the romance, and pulls strings to have Catherine transferred to Milan. When Henry is wounded in battle, he ends up in the very hospital where Catherine works. They resume the affair, which reaches an ecstatic peak just before Henry is returned to the front. The now-pregnant Catherine remains in Switzerland, sending letters by the bushelfull to Henry. But the jealous Rinaldi sees to it that Henry never receives those letters, leading Catherine to conclude sorrowfully that Henry has forgotten her. As the Armistice approaches, Henry makes his way to Switzerland, hoping to find Catherine. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Frederick Lonsdale's witty 1924 play Aren't We All was turned into a vehicle for the debonair Adolphe Menjou by Paramount the following year. Menjou played Walter Grenham, a confirmed boulevardier stranded in Havana with his best friend's (Kenneth MacKenna) flirtatious wife (Lillian Rich). Nothing untoward happens -- Menjou is more attracted to sophisticated Aileen Pringle) -- but MacKenna, in desperation, begins an affair with a show girl (Kitty Kelly in her only silent film). Bedroom doors are slammed and a suspicious pair of gloves keep reappearing at every inconvenient moment but, in typical Lonsdale fashion, everything is straightened out in the end. Although Broadway dancer made a welcomed cameo, most critic found the comedy too much Menjou and too little Lonsdale. ~ Hans J. Wollstein, All Movie Guide

A Night of Mystery was based on Ferreol, the famous crime novel by Victorien Sardou. While visiting the apartment of ex-lover Gilberte (Evelyn Brent), Captain Ferreol (Menjou) witnesses a murder. The crafty killer persuades Ferreol not to report the crime, lest Gilberte's indiscretions be revealed to her husband. Ferreol discreetly leaves Paris and heads for Africa but returns when he learns that Gilberte's brother Jerome (William Collier Jr.) has been falsely accused of the murder. Still hoping to shield Gilberte from scandal, Ferreol confesses to the crime himself, but an inadvertent slip of the tongue clears both Ferreol and Jerome in one fell swoop. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Originally, Louise Brooks was only supposed to have a supporting role in this comedy-drama starring Adolphe Menjou. Partway through filming, however, Menjou's co-star Greta Nissen dropped out and Brooks' role was rewritten and expanded. It was only her third film. Menjou is Max Haber, a barber in a small town who works at the shop belonging to his father (a surprisingly unslapstick-y Chester Conklin). His sweetheart is Kitty Laverne, an ambitious manicurist (Brooks). She goes to New York in hopes that Max will follow. He does, and he manages to land a job at a big New York barber shop. Mrs. Jackson-Greer (Josephine Drake) convinces Max to pose as a French Count, and he is pursued by April King, a title-seeking young woman (Elsie Lawson). Eventually Max's fakery is unmasked and he happily returns to his small town, followed by Kitty. Unfortunately, no copies of this film seem to exist -- the last known print was lost in a fire at the Cinematheque Francais. ~ Janiss Garza, All Movie Guide

Charles Chaplin's first, long-awaited, independent production for United Artists begins with an only partially true caveat from its creator: "To The Public -- In order to avoid any misunderstanding, I wish to announce that I do not appear in this picture. It is the first serious drama written and directed by myself. Charles Chaplin," -- Chaplin does appear in a walk-on as a train-station porter. It is indeed a serious drama but it is much more than that. It is a film that set new standards in silent dramatic acting and directing. It influenced other filmmakers so deeply that many of its innovations seem outdated only because of their constant imitation in films by others. It is a study in the psychology of the vagaries of love.

Marie St. Clair (Edna Purviance), a simple girl living in a small French town, plans to elope with her lover, artist Jean Millet (Carl Miller), even though her suspicious stepfather attempts to stop her. Jean brings her to his home, but they are also scorned by his father. Jean and Marie resolve to leave for Paris that night. They go to the railroad station, where Jean leaves Marie with money for tickets, while he returns home to pack. A final parting with his parents brings on a fatal stroke to his father, and when Marie calls to find out why he's late, Jean tells her that he must stay. Taking this as a rejection, Marie boards the train by herself.

A year later in Paris, Marie is a kept woman, and her keeper is Pierre Revel (Adolphe Menjou), the richest bachelor in town and one of the slimiest. When a magazine article announces Pierre's engagement to an equally wealthy woman, Marie tries to react coolly, but her body language shows she is clearly upset. Later, Marie confronts him about the engagement and is told that it will make no difference in their relationship, that "we can go on just the same," but Marie refuses to go out with Pierre. Later, she is invited to a wild party in the bohemian Latin Quarter, and she gets the address wrong, accidentally arriving at the studio where Jean and his mother now live. The two are glad to see each other, but the passage of time has made them formal and they conceal their real emotions. Observing their penurious condition, Marie hires Jean to paint her portrait.

As the days pass and the portrait nears completion, Jean again falls in love with Marie, but when he professes his love, Marie is noncommittal. She confronts Pierre with her desire for marriage and children, and he chides her, pointing to her pearl necklace as evidence of her happiness. Pierre in turn confronts her about the artist and she admits that she loves and will marry him, news that he takes coolly and dubiously, telling her that he'll see her for dinner the next evening. In the artists garret, Jean and his mother argue about Marie, and, browbeaten by his disapproving mother, he finally declares that he has reconsidered his proposal. He is overheard by Marie, and she coolly confirms that the proposal was a mistake. Later as he sets out to stalk Marie in hopes of re-establishing their relationship, the desperate Jean is seen loading a revolver. At the fancy restaurant where Pierre and Marie dine that night, Jean confronts the couple. ~ Phil Posner, All Movie Guide

Betty Bronson, who found overnight success when she played the title character in Peter Pan, has the ingenue lead in this curiously named domestic drama. Mr. and Mrs. Hazlitt (Adolphe Menjou and Florence Vidor) have never learned the give and take of a marriage relationship and have decided to divorce for reasons of incompatibility. Their daughter, Lita (Bronson), is away at boarding school, and she's devastated by the news. She read that estranged parents can be brought back together if their child is in danger, and she decides to use this to her advantage. When she is accused of writing a romantic letter to a movie star that her roommate actually penned, she writes a suicide note and runs away from the school. While her parents are in a panic over her whereabouts, she is sleeping in the easy chair of Dr. Dacer (Lawrence Grey), the handsome young physician at the girls' school. Dacer is not even aware that she's there until the morning, when he finds her. By that time, the Hazlitts have reconciled, and Dacer proposes to Lita. ~ Janiss Garza, All Movie Guide

In her autobiography, Pola Negri claims she felt dubious about playing the lead role in this exotic drama based on the novel by Robert Hichens; as her first role in an American production, Negri felt it would typecast her as a vamp. In spite of her doubts, critics felt that the role of Ruby Chepstow was tailor-made for her. When Ruby's husband, Wodehouse Chepstow (Adolphe Menjou), dies after murdering one of Ruby's lovers, Ruby prepares to shoot herself. But a maid saves her, and instead she takes on the name Bella Donna, marries British engineer Nigel Armine (Conrad Nagel), and heads for Egypt. There she becomes involved with Mahamoud Baroudi (Conway Tearle), who suggests that she get rid of her husband -- permanently. She tries to poison Armine, but his doctor friend (Claude King) puts a halt to her plans, and when Bella Donna goes back to Baroudi, he's no longer interested. Meanwhile, Armine reconciles with his former sweetheart. Left completely alone, Bella Donna wanders out into the desert to her death. ~ Janiss Garza, All Movie Guide

The debonair Adolphe Menjou cannot chose between blonde Greta Nissen from Norway or brunette Arlette Marchal from France in this frothy comedy from Paramount. Nissen plays Fanny, the new wife of stolid Henri Martel (Menjou). Leaving on an important business trip, Henri foolishly leaves Fanny with the more worldly Blanche (Marchal), who teaches the girl to drink, smoke and do the Charleston. The returning Martel, who hates Jazz and everything that goes with it, promptly divorces this new and improved Fanny, only to marry Blanche. But Henri and Fanny are reunited in order to avoid breaking the heart of the latter's visiting grandmother (Mary Carr), discovering in the middle of the deception that they still love each other. Hailing from Paris, Arlette Marchal was brought to Hollywood in 1926 by Gloria Swanson. She returned almost immediately to her native soil when talkies arrived. ~ Hans J. Wollstein, All Movie Guide

A tuneful taxi driver secretly works to achieve his dream of becoming a radio singer in this musical comedy. One day he gives a radio station secretary a lift. She prattles on about a sponsor's new contest. The sponsor, a prominent cheese company, is looking for a singing gondolier to participate in their newest campaign. Later the secretary and the head cheese go to Venice to look for the real McCoy, unaware that the determined cabbie is already there waiting for them. Sure enough, they are fooled and he is hired. Things go really well until he feels compelled to tell the truth during a major broadcast. Songs include: "Lulu's Back in Town", "The Rose in Her Hair", "Lonely Gondolier", and ""You Can Be Kissed"". ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide

This musicalized remake of the 1939 comedy Bachelor Mother stars Debbie Reynolds and Eddie Fisher (then Mr. and Mrs.) in the roles originated by Ginger Rogers and David Niven. Reynolds plays a department store salesgirl whose life is turned topsy-turvy when she finds an abandoned baby. Despite her protestations, everyone assumes that she's the mother of the child, including Fisher, the son of store owner Adolphe Menjou. Meanwhile, Menjou convinced that his son is the baby's father, is determined that his boy will "do right" by the innocent Reynolds. Much of the comic zest of the original film is diluted by the lackluster performance of Eddie Fisher, though Debbie Reynolds and the rest of the cast are in fine form. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Wallace Reid plays against type in this comedy-drama, based on the play by Booth Tarkington. As a matter of fact, he does a fair imitation of Alfred Lunt, who played the title role on Broadway. He even parts his hair in the middle and wears horn-rimmed glasses, just as Lunt did. Clarence Smith (Reid) is an ex-soldier who is hired for odd jobs by Mr. Wheeler (Edward Martindel) primarily because he has overheard a family argument. And the Wheeler household is going through quite a bit of turmoil -- Mrs. Wheeler (Kathlyn Williams) feels neglected by her husband and is jealous of Violet Pinney, the governess (Agnes Ayres). Daughter Cora (May McAvoy) is planning to elope with her father's secretary, Hubert Stem (Adolphe Menjou). Son Bobby (Robert Agnew), meanwhile, has been making passes at the maid. Clarence manages to solve the Wheelers' various problems -- he kidnaps Cora back from Stem, repairs everyone's hurts and ends up with Violet. Reid, incidentally, was directed by both DeMille brothers -- Cecil B. and William C. -- at one point or another during his career. Sadly, the star would be dead from drug abuse within six months of this picture's release. ~ Janiss Garza, All Movie Guide