The Battle of the Sexes (1928)

User Rating:

6.7/10   

Director:

D.W. Griffith

Writers:

Daniel Carson Goodman (story)
Gerrit J. Lloyd (adaptation)

Release Date:

21 April 1929 (Finland)

Genre:

Comedy

Tagline:

Hear the marvelous sound accompaniment by Nathaniel Shilkret and Joseph Pasternack...You'll hum the captivating tune of the theme song, "Just a Sweetheart."

Plot:

Gum-chewing frizzy-haired golddigger Marie Skinner cooks up a scheme with her lover Babe Winsor, a jazz hound...

Plot Keywords:

Apartment | Real Estate | Nightclub | Mouse | Gun

Cast

Jean Hersholt	...	William Judson - the Father
Phyllis Haver	...	Marie Skinner
Belle Bennett	...	Mrs. Judson - the Mother
Sally O'Neil	...	Ruth Judson - the Daughter
Don Alvarado	...	Babe Winsor
William Bakewell	...	Billy Judson - the Son
John Batten	...	Friend of the Judsons

Runtime:

88 min (2004 alternate version)

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.20 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (MovieTone) (music and sound effects) | Silent

Certification:

USA:Not Rated | USA:TV-G (TV rating)

Company:

Feature Productions

Trivia:

No information on the source of the movie, "The Single Standard," has been found.

Goofs:

Continuity: When Marie is at the barber shop, and Judson leaves his chair, she asks a man to pick up the newspaper to read Judson's news about his recent deal. After reading the news, she looks at Judson, and then the scene switches to be seen from other angle, where you can see that Marie is asking the man to pick up the newspaper again.

Quotes:

Opening Dialogue Card: The battle of the sexes - always being fought and never being won.

Movie Connections:

Version of The Battle of the Sexes (1914)

Soundtrack:

Just a Sweetheart

Surprisingly Good

This late jazz age comic morality tale directed by D. W. Griffith is surprisingly good--and its relative sophistication will be a surprise to those who are familiar with Griffith via the standard films such as "The Birth of a Nation," "Intolerance," "Way Down East," or even "Broken Blossoms." This film feels much more modern and far less overtly moralizing than those earlier films, though its 1920s "feel" is a part of its appeal for contemporary viewers.

The new DVD is well scored with period music cues that evoke a consistent, slightly melancholy mood as Jean Hersholt (better known as the villain of "Greed") is thrown into his midlife crisis by gold digger Phyllis Haver. His family is convincingly shown in turmoil--and eventually acts to rescue Hersholt's character from his folly. The film is well structured and altogether charming.