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Her Private Life
1929 film From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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Her Private Life is a surviving[1] 1929 American sound (All-Talking) pre-Code drama film directed by Alexander Korda and starring Billie Dove, Walter Pidgeon and Holmes Herbert. The plot concerns an English aristocrat who causes a scandal when she divorces her husband and runs off with a young American. The film had been considered a lost film.[2] However, in July 2016, according to the Library of Congress, the film was found in an Italian archive.
This was Korda's second sound film, following The Squall. It is a remake of the 1925 silent film Déclassée by Robert G. Vignola, which was itself an adaptation of a 1919 play of the same name by Zoë Akins.[3]
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Cast
- Billie Dove as Lady Helen Haden
- Walter Pidgeon as Ned Thayer
- Holmes Herbert as Rudolph Solomon
- Montagu Love as Sir Bruce Haden
- Thelma Todd as Mrs. Leslie
- Roland Young as Charteris
- Mary Forbes as Lady Wildering
- Brandon Hurst as Sir Emmett Wildering
- ZaSu Pitts as Timmins
Plot
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Lady Helen Haden (Billie Dove), the last of the notorious “mad Varicks,” is a proud and elegant aristocrat trapped in a loveless marriage to Sir Bruce Haden (Montagu Love), a once-wealthy butcher turned baronet with a brutal temper and a fondness for drink. Isolated and disillusioned, Helen finds solace in the companionship of Ned Thayer (Walter Pidgeon), a refined American visitor whose charm and sincerity stand in stark contrast to her husband’s cruelty.
Sir Bruce, inflamed with jealousy, accuses Thayer of cheating at cards and publicly insults him. When Helen demands an apology or threatens to leave, Bruce grudgingly relents. But Helen soon uncovers damning evidence that Thayer may have been cheating after all—shattering her trust.
Things worsen when Thayer’s sister, Mrs. Leslie (Thelma Todd), threatens to expose a letter Helen once wrote to Ned, using it to blackmail her into silence. Lady Helen, unwilling to be intimidated, bravely reveals the truth—igniting a scandalous divorce case that ruins her reputation.
Fleeing the disgrace, Helen sails for America, pawning her remaining jewels to survive. Just as she approaches rock bottom, she crosses paths with Rudolph Solomon (Holmes Herbert), a wealthy art collector who once dealt with her husband. Solomon, captivated by her grace and resilience, proposes marriage.
Still haunted by her love for Thayer, Helen hesitates but eventually accepts—while warning Solomon that her heart was once shattered by a man who betrayed her trust. Unknown to her, Solomon has recently sent Thayer away on a business trip to the tropics.
When Thayer returns unexpectedly, Solomon realizes the truth: Thayer had never cheated for himself—he took the fall to protect his sister, who had stolen Helen’s letter to blackmail her. In an act of deep compassion, Solomon releases Helen from their engagement.
Before Helen can learn of this, she sees Thayer at the hotel, panics, and flees. In a desperate moment of confusion and despair, she throws herself in front of a car.
Gravely injured, Helen is carried back to the hotel. As she slips in and out of consciousness, Thayer stays by her side. The truth finally emerges: Thayer’s betrayal was a selfless act of love. Moved by the sacrifice of both men, Helen awakens to a new beginning. As Solomon leaves the room, he quietly tells Thayer, “She will live—for you.”
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Music
The song features a theme song entitled "Love Is Like A Rose" which was composed by Al Bryan and George W. Meyer. Walter Pidgeon sings this song in the film. The song is also played instrumentally as background music by the Vitaphone orchestra several times throughout the film.
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