Ladies of Leisure
| Ladies of Leisure | |
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original newspaper advertisement
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| Directed by | Frank Capra |
| Produced by |
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| Screenplay by | Jo Swerling |
| Based on |
Ladies of the Evening (1924 play) by Milton Herbert Gropper |
| Starring | |
| Music by | Mischa Bakaleinikoff (uncredited) |
| Cinematography | Joseph Walker |
| Edited by | Maurice Wright |
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Production
company |
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| Distributed by | Columbia Pictures |
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Release date
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Running time
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99 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
Ladies of Leisure is a 1930 American pre-Code romantic drama film directed by Frank Capra and starring Barbara Stanwyck and Ralph Graves. The screenplay by Jo Swerling is based on the 1924 play Ladies of the Evening by Milton Herbert Gropper, which ran for 159 performances on Broadway.
The film is about an artist from a wealthy family who hires a "party girl" as his model. As they get to know each other, the girl begins to regret her past, and the two fall in love, but they must face his family's strong opposition to their union. Ladies of Leisure received generally positive reviews, and Stanwyck's performance was praised by critics. The success of the film made Stanwyck a star.
Aspiring artist Jerry Strong (Ralph Graves), the son of a wealthy railroad tycoon, sneaks out of a party he allowed his friend Bill Standish (Lowell Sherman) to hold at his New York City penthouse apartment and studio. While out driving in the country, Jerry meets self-described "party girl" Kay Arnold (Barbara Stanwyck), who is escaping from another party aboard a yacht, and gives her a ride back to the city. He sees something in her and offers her a job as his model for a painting titled "Hope". In their first session, Jerry wipes off her makeup to try to bring out her true nature. Perpetual partier and drunkard Standish thinks Kay looks fine just the way she is and invites her on a cruise to Havana. She declines his offer.
As they get to know each other better, Kay falls in love with Jerry and comes to rue her tawdry past. This is reflected in her face, and she finally achieves a pose Jerry finds inspiring. He paints so late into the night that he offers to let her sleep on his couch.
The next morning, Jerry's father John (George Fawcett) shows up and demands he dismiss Kay and marry his longtime fiancée Claire Collins (Juliette Compton). John has found out all about Kay's checkered background; she does not deny the facts. When Jerry refuses, John cuts off all relations with his stubborn son. Kay decides to quit anyway for Jerry's benefit. This forces him to declare he loves her. She suggests running off to Arizona.
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Wikipedia