Male and Female
| Male and Female | |
|---|---|
Gloria Swanson in Male and Female
|
|
| Directed by | Cecil B. DeMille |
| Produced by | Cecil B. DeMille Jesse L. Lasky |
| Written by | Jeanie Macpherson |
| Based on |
The Admirable Crichton by J. M. Barrie |
| Starring |
Gloria Swanson Thomas Meighan |
| Music by | Sydney Jill Lehman (1997 version) |
| Cinematography | Alvin Wyckoff |
| Edited by | Anne Bauchens |
|
Production
company |
Famous Players-Lasky/Artcraft
|
| Distributed by | Paramount Pictures |
|
Release date
|
|
|
Running time
|
116 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | Silent (English intertitles) |
| Budget | $168,619.28 |
| Box office | $1,256,226.59 |
Male and Female is a 1919 American silent adventure/drama film directed by Cecil B. DeMille and starring Gloria Swanson and Thomas Meighan. Its main themes are gender relations and social class. The film is based on the J. M. Barrie play The Admirable Crichton.
A previous version was filmed the year before in England as The Admirable Crichton.
The film centers on the relationship between Lady Mary Loam (Swanson), a British aristocrat, and her butler, Crichton (Meighan). Crichton fancies a romance with Mary, but she disdains him because of his lower social class. When the two and some others are shipwrecked on a deserted island, they are left to fend for themselves in a state of nature.
The aristocrats' abilities to survive are far worse than those of Crichton, and a role reversal ensues, with the butler becoming a king among the stranded group. Crichton and Mary are about to wed on the island when the group is rescued. Upon returning to Britain, Crichton chooses not to marry Mary; instead, he asks a maid, Tweeny (who was attracted to Crichton throughout the film), to marry him, and the two move to the United States.
The film contains two famous scenes, indicative of de Mille's predilections as a filmmaker.
The film is recognized by American Film Institute in these lists:
Male and Female was released on Region 0 DVD-R by Alpha Video on January 28, 2014.
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