Madame X

I really liked this old antique! Even though the heavy theatrics of Ruth Chatterton, Lewis Stone, and Raymond Hackett showed through, it was interesting in getting people's emotions involved circa 1929. Remember this was the early talkie period and the actors were still projecting their emotions, feelings, excitement, etc from the more familiar silent period....talkies were the new medium but feelings, emotions came out from the silent mode. I thought the spoken dialog to be excellent even though stagy. The whole production, photography, lighting, camera work was also outstanding. Overall it was a very good melodramatic, emotional, and provoked much sympathy and feelings. I'm for one enjoy the early talkie period with all its antique, splendid grandeur. Lets dust off more of these films for our future movie and theater historic buffs!!

For two years, Lionel Barrymore was the most famous actor-turned-director in Hollywood. The older brother of the famous Ethel and John Barrymore trio, Lionel had dipped his toe in the director's chair in the mid-1910s before solely concentrating on acting. He resumed directing in 1929 by handling a wall-to-wall talkie, August 1929's "Madame X." At the time, successful silent film directors were hesitant to tackle productions with microphones to capture verbal dialogue. The opportunities were wide open for those willing handle a new way of filming a movie with audio. Lionel was one of those people.

"Madame X," a popular adaptation of the 1908 play of the same name by French playwright Alexandre Bisson, had been filmed two times earlier, and has been remade nine times and counting after the 1929 version. That includes the 1966 Lana Turner and the 1981 Tuesday Weld movies. Stage actress Ruth Chatterton's character, Jacqueline Floriot, is thrown out into the streets by hubby Louis (Lewis Stone) for having an affair. He also prohibits her from seeing her son. Years later, she shoots her lover for trying to blackmail her ex, who's now the state's attorney general. Her assigned lawyer turns out to be her son. She only gives her name as Madame X, fearful of revealing her past.

Lionel's camera is largely stationary, a throwback to when he was directing movies in the mid-1910s where the camera barely moved, especially in drawing room dramas. But his work was appreciated by the Academy, nominating him for Best Director. One reason may have been he was one of the first to use an adaptation of a 'boom microphone.' During the production of "Madame X," Lionel had his audio people string a microphone on a fishing pole and position the apparatus high just out of frame to follow the moving actors. Previously, microphones were stationary, hidden in telephones or behind furniture. Lionel refused to take all the credit with the new innovation, stating in his 1951 autobiography that others in the industry had claimed to be the first in come up with the device. He stated, "All I can say is that in 1929 I recorded Miss Ruth Chatterton's voice with a fishing pole."

Chatterton, a famous stage actress, was encouraged by actor Emil Jannings to go into film. She appeared in her cinematic debut, 1928's 'Sins of the Father,' as well as two more movies before earning the lead in "Madame X." Her performance was so spectacular the Academy nominated her for Best Actress, only to be edged out by Mary Pickford during the second Awards' ceremony. Film exhibitors voted Chatterton as the second most popular draw in their theaters in 1929, second only to Norma Shearer. She starred in a number of highly successful movies in the early to mid-1930s, but tired of the movie set in 1938 to return to the stage.

Chatterton was passionate about flying. She was good friends with Amelia Earhart and piloted her own airplane crisscrossing America by herself several times.

As for the movie "Madame x," piano, organ and other instrumental players were still in demand by larger city movie theaters even though they were wired for sound. In some original prints of 1929 films seen today, the opening and closing credits contain no musical soundtrack. Theater owners in that short period wanted to make their customers feel like it was a special evening out to attend a movie. They hired musicians to play the opening and closing titles and had them sit or go out for a smoke while the movies were being played.

... and understand that if the photography seems static and uninspired it is because that at this point in early talking film the camera could not move. You had to cross cut between shots to get even the illusion of motion.

As for Ruth Chatterton and Lewis Stone, in my opinion these two never could give a bad performance and that is true here too. These two were pioneers in acting in the talkies and acquit themselves marvelously considering that actors were often directed to over-emote. Ruth Chatterton resists the common early talkie urge to chew scenery better than Stone, though, probably owing to the fact that until she was 35 she was a star of the stage and thus was familiar with handling dialogue. Stone had started acting in silent films, so in these early talking roles he was having to feel his way through it, although he quickly got the hang of it.

In this case the two play estranged couple Jacqueline and Louis Floriot. Unlike the other filmed versions of Madame X, this one starts several years after Jacqueline has abandoned her family and at a time of severe illness for her son. The man she left her husband for has died, and she asks for a fresh start with Louis, who still loves her, but rebuffs her anyway on account of his pride and turns her out into the street without even allowing her to see her son.

In this version there is no meddling mother-in-law thinking the wife is not good enough for her son. Instead it is Louis' coldness that apparently caused Jacqueline to look for affection elsewhere. The vast majority of the film belongs to Chatterton as we see her go from man to man and fall deeper into alcoholism and despair. The makeup job was quite good on this film too as we see Chatterton transform from a woman with delicate China doll features to a bloated used-up alcoholic that not even her ex-husband recognizes when she goes on trial for her life in a courtroom where he presides as judge. Raymond Hackett is excellent as Jacqueline's grown son who feels real compassion for this woman that he does not know is his mother when he is assigned to defend her.

Since there have been ten film adaptations of Madame X, you might not be tempted to rent all of them for a comparison study. What can I say to get you to check out the 1929 version instead of all the others? If you can appreciate the lost art of silent movies, but you prefer talkies, this one will probably be your favorite. It's a very obvious link between the two types of movies; if it were the first talking picture, I'd believe it.

Directed by Lionel Barrymore, this could have been a silent movie with the insertion of a few title cards. Everyone uses broad gestures and huge facial expressions. In one scene, the maid opens the door, flings her arms back in shock, waits three seconds as she backs up and widens her eyes, then exclaims, "Madame!" Lewis Stone waves his arms in the air, and Ruth Chatterton's makeup can be seen in the back row.

Still, the acting is worth watching. If you don't know who Ruth Chatterton is, that's because she retired in 1938. Before Gladys George wowed everyone with her 1937 courtroom scene, Ruth Chatterton played the famous fallen woman, and played it beautifully. In the story, Ruth is married to the wealthy Lewis Stone, but she leaves him and their young son for another man. The man dies, and Ruth is left penniless and alone. She takes comfort in alcohol and crummy men, until finally, her past catches up to her. If you don't know how, it's time you rented one of the versions. If you're on the fence about silent movies, don't pick this one first. Check out Gladys George or Lana Turner, and only come back to this one after you've seen Dodsworth and the hidden talents of Ruth Chatterton.

More of a curio, this was reportedly the first MGM film to have a microphone follow the actors (on a fishing pole) at the suggestion of director Lionel Barrymore. Maybe that's why he got an Oscar nomination. Surely not for directing the photographer or the actors. The direction seemed so devoid of creativity it became obtrusive: a static camera that refused to follow the actors. If an actor moved, it jumped to a two-shot. Ruth Chatterton, however, is excellent as the long-suffering mother who sacrifices herself to prevent harm to the reputation of her son, who defends her in a murder case without knowing she is his mother! And Lewis Stone, who never gives a bad performance, is also excellent as the man she abandoned. It's worth a look for the acting.