The Understanding Heart
- Joan Crawford: Monica Dale
- Richard Carle: Sheriff Bentley
- Francis X. Bushman Jr.: Bob Mason
- Rockliffe Fellowes: Tony Garland
- Carmel Myers: Kelcey Dale
The Understanding Heart is an American silent film from 1927 with Joan Crawford in one of her first leading roles.
Action
Monica Dale is a pretty young woman who lives in the woods, in a logging camp. She can not decide between the rich and the poor Bob Mason Ranger Tony Garland herself. A large forest fire forces three people to solve their conflicts against the backdrop of flames.
Background
Joan Crawford was discovered as a showgirl under her birth name Lucille Le Sueur by a talent scout who gave her a seven-month film contract with the newly formed film company Metro-Goldwyn- Mayer. Since their arrival in January 1925, she had first managed to get through iron discipline and the establishment of a durable network extras roles. Within weeks, the studio responsible discovered their potential and prompted the actress to adopt the stage name Joan Crawford. A supporting role alongside Jackie Coogan in Old Clothes gave her the attention of the distinguished director Edmund Goulding, Crawford finally the role of the tragic Irene in the film adaptation of the hit Broadway show Sally, Irene and Mary committed. The success of the film helped Crawford to starring roles in films such as undemanding Paris, the encouraged her talent and gave her the opportunity to develop their acting skills. The Understanding Heart was produced by Cosmopolitan Productions. The company was founded in 1918 by William Randolph Hearst for his mistress Marion Davies. It formed an independent unit within the MGM Studios and distributed mainly movies with Davies in the lead role. For the representation of the forest fire was unused material from The Flaming Forest, who had just arrived in the rental, used.
Some decades later, Joan Crawford was still pleased with herself and her male partner:
"I got my first glowing reviews for" The Understanding Heart "because [ my costar ] Francis X. Bushman, Jr. allowed me to steal every scene. What a gentleman. "
Theatrical Release
With production costs of 248,000 U.S. dollars it was an expensive production for a B- movie, even for MGM standards. The film played in the U.S. with a sum of 427,000 U.S. dollars a relatively high sum one. With the foreign income of 109,000 dollars and a cumulative total profit of 563,000 U.S. dollars was from The Understanding Heart of the most successful film of Joan Crawford. In the end, however, the studio was able to realize only a small profit of $ 70,000.
Reviews
The critics were impressed by Joan Crawford and told her a successful future ahead.
Betty Colfax was in the New York Evening Graphic:
"Miss Crawford not only shows up some talent as an actress, she can also be photographed very well. Overall, it shows a significant development since their work in The Taxi Dancer, so that one may hope for great things from these young ladies. "
Sources and literature used
- Roy Newquist (ed.): Conversations with Joan Crawford. Citadel Press, Secaucus, N. J. 1980, ISBN 0-8065-0720-9.
- Lawrence J. Quirk: The Complete Films of Joan Crawford. Citadel Press, Secaucus, N. J. 1988, ISBN 0-8065-1078-1.
- Alexander Walker: Joan Crawford. The Ultimate Star. Weidenfeld & Nicolson, London 1983, ISBN 0-297-78216-9.