Lady of the Pavements (United Artists) (1929)

General Advance and Synopsis D. W. GRIFFITH’S LATEST STIRRING TALE ENACTED BY COMPANY OF FILM FAVORITES William Boyd, Jetta Goudal and Lupe Velez Head Fine Cast in Producer-Director’s "Lady of the Pavements.” Written by Author of "The Miracle” D. W. Griffith has chosen the romance of the low and the high born as the theme for his latest picture “Lady of the Pavements,” which comes to the.theatre on. The prin¬ cipal players in the production are William Boyd, Jetta Goudal, Lupe Velez, George Fawcett, Albert Conti and William Bakewell. Karl Vol- rnoeller. author of “The Miracle,” Max Reinhardt’s internationally wnown stage play, wrote the story especially for the screen. Sam Taylor, director of Harold Lloyd’s biggest pictures, wrote the continuity. The maker of “Intolerance,” “Broken Blossoms” and “The Birth of a Nation” has in this produc¬ tion, it is said, set himself a new standard of pictorial excellence, beauty and spectacle with the com¬ bination of mass effects and artistic backgrounds through the medium of which he brings to life the glamor and pageantry on one of the most famous of all European courts— the court of Napoleon the Third, the locale of the story. The gaiety and splendor of these scenes are contrasted with the bi- .» zarre haunts and strange fascina¬ tions of the notorious Parisian underworld, the setting in which the early sequences of the pictures are laid. “Lady of the Pavements” is one of the most daring stories to come under Griffith’s direction during his twenty years of motion picture pro¬ duction. Rejected by her noble- Patrons of ..theatre will hear the same musical and vocal score given the picture at the fore¬ most theatres in the country. “Lady of the Pavements” is a motion pic¬ ture musical comedy-drama. man lover because of her infidelity, a mistress of Napoleon lays plans for a disgraceful revenge. From the cafes of the underworld she gets a magnetic girl whom she schools in Synchronization If your theatre is equipped with the necessary sound devices, add the following paragraph to your newspaper stories: The specially prepared sound ac¬ companiment devised by Hugo Rie- senfeld, famous composer and con¬ ductor, will be a feature of the presentation of “Lady of the Pave¬ ments” at the . theatre. The synchronized musical score includes the Irving Berlin theme song “Where is the Song of Songs for Me?”, sung by Lupe Velez, heroine of the film. "Nena” and “At the Dance,” both popular numbers are also sung by Miss Velez. Some of the most dramatic scenes in the picture are presented 'with a dialogue accompaniment featuring the principal players. LUPE VELEZ>;«.D.W.GRJFFITW'.5 *LADY of tme pavements" 4-LV —One Col. Scene Star Head (Mat 5c; Cut 30 c) the ways of her set. She then con¬ trives to have the man marry the girl and at the wedding feast makes a scathing denouncement. Contrary to the usual procedure in handling such subjects, Griffith, advance reports state, has treated the story in an altogether modern and light vein, achieving his effects rather by contrasts than sombre realism. The leading parts have been ad¬ mirably well cast. Lupe Velez, so captivating as the heroine opposite “Douglas Fairbanks as the Gaucho” is the girl of the cabarets. William Boyd of “The Volga Boatman” and “Two Arabian Knights” fame, is the man, while Jetta Goudal, long established as a character star, por¬ trays the other woman. The picture is presented by Jo¬ seph M. Schenck under the United Artists banner. JOSEPH M. SCHENCK presents D. W. GRIFFITH’S “LADY OF THE PAVEMENTS” with WILLIAM BOYD — JETTA GOUDAL LUPE VELEZ GEORGE FAWCETT and ALBERT CONTI From the Story by Karl Volmoeller Adapted for the screen by Sam Taylor UNITED ARTISTS PICTURE Director, D. W. Griffith; Scenario by Sam Taylor; Original Story Title, “La Paiva”; Author, Karl Volmoeller; Cameraman, Karl Struss THE CAST Lupe Velez .Nanon del Rayon William Boyd .Karl von Arnim Jetta Goudal .Countess Diane des Granges Albert Conti ..Baron Finot George Fawcett .Baron Haussmann Henry Armetta .Papa Pierre William Bakewell .A Pianist Franklin Pangborn .M’sieu Dubrey THE STORY Karl von Arnim, military attache to the Prussian legation at Paris, discovers that the beautiful French Countess Diane des Granges to whom he> is engaged is unfaithful to him and in a fit of anger he tells her that he would rather marry a woman of the streets. Enraged by the deliberate insult, Diane sends for Finot, the chamber- lain to Napoleon the Third—over whom she has some hold—and tells him of a plan to force Karl into marrying a woman habitue of one of the low drinking dives of Paris. The chamberlain objects to being an agent in this intrigue, but under pressure gives in and agrees to find such a potential mate for Karl. finot goes to “The Smoking Dog Cabaret” and discovers Nanon, beautiful Spanish girl who dances and sings there. He attracts the girl’s attention by flinging a golden coin her way and under promise of more money gains her consent to play a practical joke on “someone” by making him fall in love with her. Nanon arrives at Diane’s apartments and is instructed in the social virtues by the Countess until she is a nearly perfect example of what a demure, convent bred girl should be. Later Nanon, now called La Paiva, makes her debut to society and is presented at a formal ball where, she is made to understand, she will meet the man she is to beguile. Nanon is introduced to many men—short, fat and ugly diplomats— and each one causes her to shudder for fear it is the one she is to make love to. Bored and perhaps a little frightened by the pomp, she seeks to escape in the memories of her past, so she prevails upon a pianist to ac¬ company her as she sings “Where Is the Song of Songs for Me?”, a happy little melody she learned when a child. The first few bars of the song revive her courage and she is but halfway through the melody when she sees Karl in a handsome military uniform before her, transfixed by her beauty and so n fir. As she sings the closing words of the song, “I love you,” Nanon finds the eyes of the young man boring into hers. An introduction follows and Nanon learns from Diane that Karl 1 is the man. She is astounded and almost a bit afraid of the consequences, but she advances the affair until, later, Karl begs her to marry him. Nanon who sincerely loves him in return, meanwhile has learned of Diane’s plot ^through the sympathetic Finot and she puts Karl off, telling him she could never become his wife. Disappointed, and not understanding the reason for his dismissal, Karl goes but leaves a rose in Nanon’s hands with the plea that she send it to him in the event of a change in mind. Diane enters later and persuades Nanon to marry Karl on the promise that she will never tell him of Nanon’s past life at “The Smoking Dog” cabaret. Diane makes the one condition that for her silence she be privi¬ leged to give a wedding banquet to the newlyweds. Nanon consents happily and she sends for Karl and accepts him. Later, at the banquet, Diane makes an announcement to the effect that she has a surprise and, to the horror of Nanon, the “Smoking Dog” or¬ chestra comes into the magnificent room and gets ready to play. Diane then suggests that Nanon sing “Where Is the Song of Songs for Me?” The girl realizes that she has been tricked and rising resolutely from her chair at the table, she joins her former associates and starts to sing. She falters and with a cry of utter despair she falls into the arms of Papa Pierre, proprietor of “The Smoking Dog” and leader also of the orchestra. There is consternation among the guests. Karl rises perplexed and is about to go to Nanon when Diane stops him and says: “Evidently* they are her friends.” Finot gets the guests and orchestra out of the room and the Countess calmly takes some bills out of a purse and holds them out to Nanon while Karl, astounded, looks on. “This is your money,” says Diane to Nanon, then turning to Karl she says, “You wanted to marry a woman of the streets. Well, you have.” Nanon thrusts the money from her and tries to tell Karl of her inno¬ cence in the plot to marry him, but she does not deny her former life at “The Smoking Dog.” Karl blazes at her in hate and proceeds to 1 walk away. At this moment Nanon, as a final gesture of desperation, halts him and calls the guests in from an adjoining room. When the elegant people are assembled she tells them of Diane’s intrigue. A hum of disapproval wilts Diane, and Nanon, exhausted by the fury of her tirade, runs out of the room before Karl can stop her. She seeks the solace of Papa Pierre and the cabaret, and once more she sings there, but in a listless, heart-broken voice. Everywhere she sees visions of Karl: the gross face of a sailor forms into the handsome fea¬ tures of him. She sings the love song once more and as she reaches the final words, “I love you,” Karl comes from the far end of the room and takes her into his arms. Putting a cape gently about her shoulders, Karl leads her past the benevblent Papa Pierre and acknowledges a blessing from the old man and passes out into the beyond of a new life.