Constance Talmadge Movies

Breakfast at Sunrise was the penultimate movie vehicle for Constance Talmadge, who retired when talkies came in two years later. Dressed up like a million dollars, Talmadge is cast as wealthy and spoiled Parisian lass Madeline, who decides to make her equally wealthy lover, the Marquis (Bryant Washburn), jealous. Thus, she marries the poverty-stricken Lussan (Don Alvarado), who agrees to the union to spite his sweetheart Georgianna (Paulette Duval). Unfortunately, neither Madeline nor Lussan counted on falling in love with each other -- but that's just what happens. Director Mal St. Clair, perhaps the best of the Lubitsch imitators, manages to extract much from little, with no small assistance from supporting actress Marie Dressler, cast as a worldly-wise queen. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Constance Talmadge's sole 1926 effort was the forgettable comedy The Duchess of Buffalo. Set in a country that seems to be Russia, the story gets under way when Lieutenant Vladimir Orloff (Tulio Carminati) falls in love with American chorus girl Marian Duncan (Constance Talmadge). Likewise fascinated by Marian is Grand Duke Gregory Alexandrovich (Edward Martindel). When Marian receives a diamond stickpin from an anonymous admirer, the Grand Duke is given what-for by his wife, while Orloff is sentenced to be shot at sunrise. Teaming up with Marian to rescue the Grand Duke from a court scandal, Orloff is spared from execution and permitted a happily-ever-after with the heroine. Based on the Hungarian play Sybil, The Duchess of Buffalo didn't do quite as well at the box office as Talmadge's previous vehicles. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Constance Talmadge was at the peak of her career when she made this comedy; she was also near the end of her career. The star would only make a handful of films after this one before retiring in lieu of switching over to talkies. Helen Weyringer (Talmadge), a nice but slightly dowdy housewife, has a sister, La Perry (also Talmadge), who is a notorious dancer. When Helen has an argument with her husband Joseph (Ronald Colman), she walks out on him. She runs into her sister and they plot to vamp Joseph and teach him a lesson. Posing as La Perry, Helen flirts outrageously with Joseph until he can no longer resist her charms. Joseph's friend Robert (George K. Arthur) falls for her too. After much trickery, Helen as La Perry convinces Joseph to run away with her. Only then does he discover that he has been carrying on with his wife. ~ Janiss Garza, Rovi

This video contains two abridged version films: America, in which a Boston patriot and the daughter of a Tory fall in love during the Revolutionary War; and the silent film, The Fall of Babylon, which is one of the stories told in D. W. Griffith's Intolerance. ~ Tana Hobart, Rovi

Deft light comedienne Constance Talmadge seems woefully out of place in this historical drama of 17th century England. It was based on the Elizabeth Ellis novel, Barbara Winslow -- Rebel. Barbara Winslow (Talmadge) helps her rebel brother, Rupert (Ray Hallor), escape from the king's forces by disguising herself as him. Captain Prothero (Conway Tearle) captures her, but he has fallen for Barbara's charms so he lets her go. As a result they are both arrested and imprisoned. A secret door is found in the prison and all those who are locked up escape. Barbara manages to get pardons for herself and Prothero by giving up some papers exposing a plot that threatens the king. Prothero must leave the country, and Barbara gladly gives up her titled fiancé, Sir Peter Dare (Charles Gerrard), to go with him. Happily, Talmadge was cast in very few dramas -- those were generally left to her sister, "emotional actress" Norma Talmadge. ~ Janiss Garza, Rovi

Although it sounds ludicrous to slap a black wig on vivacious blonde Constance Talmadge and try to pass her off as a Chinese maiden, somehow it worked in this picture, which was based on the famed play by Samuel Shipman and John B. Hymes. Talmadge didn't look particularly Asian -- and it really shows when she's hugging some real Chinese children -- but her personality managed to carry the humorous parts of the film well enough so that this could be overlooked. Helping out was Warner Oland, who practically stole the show -- although he is of Swedish birth, he made a career of playing Asians (and actually looked the part). In the early 1930s his name was synonymous with fictional detective Charlie Chan, who he played in a series of films. Ming Toy (Talmadge) is about to be sold into slavery when she's saved by Billy Benson, a handsome young American (Edward Burns). She lands in San Francisco, where Charlie Yong, the king of Chinatown (Oland) decides he wants her for himself. His attempts to kidnap her are foiled by Benson, who takes her home. His parents (Winter Hall and Lillian Lawrence) are horrified at the thought that their son is in love with an Asian woman. But it turns out that Ming Toy is really a white girl, stolen from a missionary couple (which explains why she looked so strange next to all the other Chinese folks), so the parents give the young couple their blessing. This picture was remade as a talkie in 1930, this time starring fiery Latina Lupe Velez as the Chinese girl. ~ Janiss Garza, Rovi

There seems to be some debate over exactly who directed this amusing Constance Talmadge picture. Since John Emerson directed so many of her films (and co-wrote the screenplays with his wife, Anita Loos), he has automatically been given credit by several sources. However, trade paper Motion Picture News lists Joseph Plunkett as director, and Loos, in her memoir The Talmadge Girls, recalls that Emerson was involved with the Broadway actor's strike in New York, and only marginally available as a screenwriter, much less a director. Perhaps this just proves the strength of a good script, because, review-wise, most of the kudos go to Loos and Emerson's story. Polly Meacham (Talmadge) is a small town girl with a passion for the stage. She puts on an amateur theatrical which broken up by her straight laced uncle, Silas (Horace Knight), and plays a burlesque Cleopatra for a matinee at the Old Soldiers' Home. The next stop for Polly, of course, is new York and the Follies. Florenz Ziegfeld (Bernard Randall) puts her to work, and then Polly makes sure her pal, Alysia Potter (Billie Dove), is hired, too. But Polly blows her opportunity on her first night by coming down off the stage to welcome the folks from back home. She's fired and Alysia is given her part. But Alysia's fiancé, Bob Jones (Kenneth Harlan), has come to love Polly, while Alysia has decided to pursue a career. So even if Polly loses her slot in the Follies, she wins a husband. ~ Janiss Garza, Rovi

The lead in this domestic comedy seems tailor-made for vivacious Constance Talmadge -- Rosalie Wayne, who bobs her hair, much to the chagrin of her new husband, Reggie Carter (Harrison Ford, one of Talmadge's regular leading men). Continuing confusion results in a trip to Reno for Rosalie. After the divorce, she goes abroad for a year, and when she returns, she finds her ex-husband about to marry Marcia Hunter (Emily Chichester). That won't do for Rosalie -- if she can't have him, no one can! She heads over to his home, intending to vamp him back into her arms. Unfortunately, Marcia doesn't notice and the wedding plans continue. But finally Rosalie puts a halt to it by informing the Bishop that Reggie is divorced. Marcia's mother (Ida Darling) decides her daughter would be better off with her former suitor, poet Douglas Ordway (James Harrison), and Rosalie gets her man back. Unfortunately, this picture -- based on the play by Salisbury Field -- was not as amusing as Talmadge's usual vehicles. ~ Janiss Garza, Rovi

Constance Talmadge is clearly the driving force in this farce, based on A Man From Toronto by Douglas Murray. Flighty Leila Calthorpe (Talmadge) is the heiress to her grandfather's estate, and the family lawyer, Hanover Priestly (Henry Fawcett), is anxious to see her married and settle down. He schemes to have John Warren (Kenneth Harlan), the nephew of his friend Henry Winkley (Frank Webster), wed the girl, but Warren wires from the West that he will pick his own mate, thank you very much. In order to bring him East, they wire a false report of Winkley's death, claiming that the will insists that he marry Leila to get his inheritance. Leila, meanwhile, is miffed at Warren's outright rejection of her, sight unseen, and decides to play a trick on him. She pretends to be a maid at her own home, and tells him that the mistress of the manor is away. She then shows him a photo of her maiden aunt, Agatha (the exceedingly homely Flora Finch), and tells him it is Leila. From that moment on, the action is fast and funny until the predictable end, when the love-besotted Warren insists that he will wed the maid -- who turns out to be the girl his uncle wanted him to marry in the first place. ~ Janiss Garza, Rovi

Constance Talmadge's partners-in-comedy -- the writing team of Anita Loos and John Emerson -- were sorely missed in this anemic picture. Mary Wayne (Talmadge) can't get a job because she lacks references. But she finally lands a position when her friend Nell Norcross (the amusingly-named Mona Liza) is too sick to take the social secretary position she has won. Mary goes in her place and discovers that Nell was hired by Caroline Marshall (Nellie P. Spaulding) to introduce her nephew Bill (Vincent Coleman) into society. The problem is Bill doesn't want to have anything to do with society -- he prefers prize fights and card games. It's already a given that Mary and Bill will end the film as a couple, but before that can happen, the aunt takes them, and a pal of Bill's, on a cruise. Bill catches his friend and Mary swimming together and leaves them behind. Mary decides to quit her job and go back to her boarding house, and it isn't long before Bill follows after her. ~ Janiss Garza, Rovi

This fluffy Constance Talmadge vehicle is based on the play by Anthony Wharton. Lilliums Blair (Talmadge) is an ambitious chorus girl with expensive tastes. To help her stage career, she welcomes the attentions of Reggie Clonberry (Reginald Mason), but she discovers he's a wolf when he takes her to a road house. After struggling with him and hurting her hand, she escapes to a nearby home. The butler dresses her wound while telling her that the large house is owned by three bachelors: Kenneth Maxwell (Conway Tearle), Jimby Lewis (George Fawcett), and Billy Crane (Templar Saxe). When the three men return from their golf game, Lilliums pretends to be an old friend of Lewis' and is invited to stay. The men protect her from Clonberry and she keeps things exciting around the house. Eventually Maxwell is won over by her charms. But then his mother shows up and concludes that Lilliums is a schemer. Maxwell believes his mother, but when he takes this up with Lilliums, she lets him have it. He finally declares his love for her and she allows him to win her. ~ Janiss Garza, Rovi

Even people as talented as scenarists Anita Loos and John Emerson and film star Constance Talmadge had their off days, as this picture illustrated. Mary Blake (Talmadge) can charm any man, young or old, with her winning ways -- except for the one she really wants. James Stanhope (Charles Meredith) is a misogynist who won't give her the time of day. During her various attempts to get Stanhope's attention, Mary gets tangled up with a group of anarchists and by the end of the picture, the bad guys are down for the count and Stanhope has finally fallen in love. The one saving grace of this picture was Loos' always-witty subtitles. ~ Janiss Garza, Rovi