The Belle of Broadway

The Belle of Broadway
The Belle of Broadway
	Film poster
Directed by	Harry O. Hoyt
Written by	J. Grubb Alexander (story); Jean Perry (story); Alexander Perry (adaptation)
Based on	Adele; 1913 musical; by Paul Herve
Produced by	Harry Cohn
Starring	Betty Compson
Cinematography	J.O. Taylor
Distributed by	Columbia Pictures
Release date	August 15, 1926;
Running time	62 minutes; 6 reels
Country	United States
Language	Silent (English intertitles)

The Belle of Broadway is a 1926 American silent romantic drama film produced and distributed by Columbia Pictures. It was directed by Harry O. Hoyt and starred Betty Compson.^[1]^[2]^[3]

Plot edit

Adele (Compson) was once the toast of Paris with her performances of DuBarry. But the years have passed; now older (and played by Yorke), she can no longer find work. A young neighbor named Marie (Compson again) sees to her needs, and Adele, suddenly noting the resemblance to her younger self, persuades her to pretend to be her, explaining that plastic surgery has made her look youthful again. The ruse works, and coached by Adele, Marie stars in a revival of "DuBarry" and Paris is enchanted anew. Unfortunately, this new-found success creates a whole new set of problems that will affect both of them as well as the young man (Rawlinson) who's wooing her.

NOTE: The plot is almost identical to Fedora, made 52 years later by Billy Wilder, but that was based on a short story by Tom Tryon from his collection Crowned Heads.

Cast edit

Betty Compson as Marie Duval
Herbert Rawlinson as Paul Merlin
Edith Yorke as Madame Adele
Armand Kaliz as Count Raoul de Parma
Ervin Renard as Fabio Merlin
Max Barwyn as M. Laroux (credited as Max Berwyn)
Albert Roccardi as Laroux's Associate
Tom Ricketts as Maurice Penelli (credited as Thomas Ricketts)
Wilfrid North as Major Anstruthers, an Old Beau (credited as Wilfred North)
Edward Warren as An Old Beau
Edward Kipling as An Old Beau
August Tollaire as Bearded Old Beau (credited as A. Tollaire)

Preservation edit

A print of The Belle of Broadway is preserved in the Library of Congress collection.^[4]

References edit

^ The Belle of Broadway at allmovie.com database
^ The American Film Institute Catalog Feature Films: 1921-30 by The American Film Institute, c.1971
^ Progressive Silent Film List: The Belle of Broadway at silentera.com
^ Catalog of Holdings The American Film Institute Collection and The United Artists Collection at the Library of Congress, c.1978, p. 14, The American Film Institute.