Devil-May-Care is a 1929 American Pre-Code musical film directed by Sidney Franklin with a Technicolor sequence of the Albertina Rasch Dancers. The film was released by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer on December 27, 1929 and was Ramon Novarro's talkie debut.[2][3]

Devil-May-Care
Theatrical release poster
Directed bySidney Franklin
Written byHanns Kräly
Zelda Sears
Screenplay byRichard Schayer
Based onLa Bataille de dames, ou un duel en amour
by Ernest Legouvé and Eugène Scribe
StarringRamon Novarro
Dorothy Jordan
Marion Harris
John Miljan
William Humphrey
CinematographyMerritt B. Gerstad
Edited byConrad A. Nervig
Music byHerbert Stothart
William Axt
Production
company
Distributed byMetro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM)
Release date
  • December 27, 1929 (1929-12-27)
Running time
97 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Budget$487,000[1]
Box office$1,416,000 (worldwide rentals)[1]

The film is based upon the 1851 play La Bataille de dames, ou un duel en amour by Ernest Legouvé and Eugène Scribe. It is known by a variety of other names, including Battle of the Ladies (the film's working title), Der Leutnant des Kaisers (Austria), Der jüngste Leutnant (Germany), Il tenente di Napoleone (Italy), and O lohagos tis aftokratorikis frouras (Greece).

Lobby card

Plot

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This romantic adventure chronicles the escapades of one of Napoleon's followers. After his leader's exile, the follower is arrested and slated for execution. He is before the firing squad, but manages to escape. To hide, he dashes into the bedroom of a bedazzling Royalist. He falls in love, but she patriotically turns him in. Again he makes a daring escape. Once again he meets the beautiful woman, who undergoes a change of heart and this time, stays loyal to the daring adventurer. Songs include: "Bon Jour", "Louie", "March of the Old Guard", "Why Waste Your Charms", "The Gang Song", "Madame Pompadour", "Charming", "If He Cared".

Cast

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Soundtrack

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  • "Shepherd Serenade"
Written by Clifford Grey and Herbert Stothart
  • "Charming"
Written by Clifford Grey and Herbert Stothart
  • "If He Cared"
Written by Clifford Grey and Herbert Stothart
  • "March of the Guard"
Written by Clifford Grey and Herbert Stothart
  • "Love Ballet"
Written by Dimitri Tiomkin
Performed by Albertina Rasch Dancers

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b The Eddie Mannix Ledger, Los Angeles, California: Margaret Herrick Library, Center for Motion Picture Study.
  2. ^ Progressive Silent Film List: Devil-May-Care at silentera.com
  3. ^ The AFI Catalog of Feature Films: Devil-May-Care
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