East Lynne (1931 film)

East Lynne is a 1931 American pre-Code film version of Ellen Wood's eponymous 1861 novel, which was adapted by Tom Barry and Bradley King and directed by Frank Lloyd. (The adaptation was sufficiently different from Wood's original novel that the screenplay was in turn novelized for a Grosset and Dunlap Photoplay Edition by Arline de Haas.) The film received an Academy Award nomination for Best Picture but lost to RKO-Radio's Cimarron. East Lynne is a melodrama starring Ann Harding, Clive Brook, Conrad Nagel and Cecilia Loftus.

East Lynne
Directed by	Frank Lloyd
Written by	Tom Barry Bradley King
Based on	East Lynne by Ellen Wood
Starring	Ann Harding Conrad Nagel Clive Brook Cecilia Loftus
Cinematography	John F. Seitz
Edited by	Margaret Clancey[1]
Music by	Richard Fall Carli Elinor
Distributed by	Fox Film Corporation
Release dates	February 20, 1931 (1931-02-20) (New York City)[2] March 31, 1931 (1931-03-31) (U.S.)
Running time	102 minutes, 9,188 ft., or 10 reels[2]
Country	United States
Language	English

Only one print of the film is known to exist, though bootleg DVD copies exist minus the final scene.^[1] This print is in good shape, although several frames have an "X" on them, indicating they were to be removed in the film editing stage. One frame has a "crosshairs" on it, while several frames have ink marks. People may view the film at University of California Los Angeles's Instructional Media Lab, Powell Library, after arranging an appointment. The film's copyright was renewed, so will not fall into the public domain until 2027.^[3]

The film is the third adaptation of the book produced by Fox. Previous versions are the 1916 release with Theda Bara and the one in 1925 starring Alma Rubens.^[4]

Brook and Harding in a scene from the film.

Plot

The trophy wife of a stodgy man of wealth yearns for a more interesting life. A daughter of a nobleman, her solution leads to scandal, ruin, and an odd denouement.

Cast

• Ann Harding as Lady Isabella^[5]
• Clive Brook as Captain William Levison^[5]
• Conrad Nagel as Robert Carlyle^[5] (name changed from Archibald Carlyle in the book)
• Cecilia Loftus as Cornelia Carlyle^[5]
• Beryl Mercer as Joyce^[5]
• O.P. Heggie as Lord Mount Severn^[5]
• Flora Sheffield as Barbara Hare
• David Torrence as Sir Richard Hare
• J. Gunnis Davis as Dodson, the Butler (uncredited)
• Eric Mayne as Doctor
• Ronnie Cosby as William as a child
• Wallie Albright as William as a boy

Awards

The film was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Picture in 1931.^[6]

Other filmed versions based on the novel

• 1912 East Lynne – Short Film - Directed by Theodore Marston - with Florence La Badie and James Cruze
• 1913 East Lynne - British Film - Directed by Bert Haldane - with Blanche Forsythe and Fred Paul
• 1915 East Lynne – Short Film - Directed by Travers Vale - with Louise Vale and Alan Hale
• 1916 East Lynne – Directed by Bertram Bracken - with Theda Bara and Ben Deeley
• 1921 East Lynne – Directed by Hugo Ballin - with Mabel Ballin and Edward Earle
• 1922 East Lynne - Australian Film - Directed by Charles Hardy - with Ellen Jerdan and Don McAlpine
• 1925 East Lynne – Directed by Emmett J. Flynn - with Alma Rubens and Edmund Lowe
• 1930 Ex Flame - Directed by Victor Halperin - with Neil Hamilton and Marian Nixon
• 1976 East Lynne – British Television Series - directed by Barney Colehan - with Polly James and Christopher Cazenove
• 1982 East Lynne – British Television Film - directed by David Green - with Lisa Eichhorn and Tim Woodward