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After comforting Norma, Dr. Besant approaches the bench and confesses his guilt, saying he has done wrong and is willing to pay the price. He then takes the gun and kills himself in front of the court. Later we see
Stanley waiting for Norma, who has been in the judge's chambers. He offers to walk her
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Though a product of pre-Code
Hollywood, the film was severely censored during scripting. In the play, the leading lady is pregnant and the story hinges on the fact that she carries the child of the man killed by her father. Her father murdered the man because he asked to marry the girl. But to save
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Norma runs to
Michael's cabin where he dies in her arms. Dr. Besant's lawyer friend arrives begging Norma to lie to the police to save her father's life. Norma refuses, but later as the trial wears on she changes her mind. She takes the stand and lies about Michael, trying to save her father. Norma
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Oscar. The heirs were trying to sell the award for charity, as stipulated in Rogers's second wife's will. The
Academy insisted that the Award must be offered back to them for $ 1, to comply with a rule made long after Pickford won her Oscar. They claimed that when she won her honorary Oscar in the
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Despite
Pickford's embrace of the new medium it seems she was as concerned as everyone else about how her voice would record, despite the fact she had a stage career before entering film. After reviewing her first sound test she reportedly remarked, "Why that sounds like a little pipsqueak voice!"
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type for the first time. Sound technology was extremely touchy at the time, with footsteps or rattling jewelry ruining takes. Cameras could barely move, and were hidden behind glass so as to not interfere with the sound recording. Pickford employed the best technology possible, resulting in a film
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Dr. Besant is furious and a heated verbal exchange takes place with
Michael leaving, vowing to run away with Norma as soon as possible. Dr. Besant orders Norma to her room and leaves, pistol in hand. As Norma's brother tries to distract her Stanley arrives, telling Norma that Michael was fatally
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A few months pass and
Michael sneaks down from the hills to see Norma at a Country Club dance. Wanting more time alone they sneak off to Michael's mother's cabin. According to Norma they made coffee and talked all night about the future. She returns home the next day at 4am. However someone has
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The film premiered in New York on April 5, 1929, at the Rivoli
Theatre. A fuse blew rendering the film silent. It was rewound and shown again, this time with intermittent, bad sound. Finally technicians were able to fix the problem and the film began again for a third time.
267:) who she has fallen madly in love with. Dr. Besant disapproves of Michael and orders Norma to never see him again. Norma gives him their word, then promptly plans to marry Michael in 6 months, when he's made 'good in the hills' so he can buy her a home in the valley.
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With the arrival of talkies
Pickford immediately took to the new medium, being one of the first major stars to do so. At her Pickfair Studios she installed a sound stage in 1928, and began preparing for her first talkie. She bought the rights to
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Pickford had been one of the most popular stars in silent film. Her popularity had been steady since her debut in 1909. In 1916, she founded her own production company, taking control of every detail of her films. In 1919 along with
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Pickford became nervous during preparation, firing her sound man when a take wasn't ready for her review on time. On set during an emotional scene, she notoriously fired her longtime cameraman and friend,
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spotted the couple and begun to spread rumors around town destroying Norma's reputation. Michael is furious and vows he will ask her father for her hand in marriage immediately.
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and The Mary
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The Academy won the legal battle, but announced they were willing to pursue a private agreement with the heirs. The outcome of this agreement is unknown.
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is the story of a flirtatious southern girl who chooses to stand behind her father after he kills the man that she loves. Much like
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her father from disgrace when her pregnancy becomes apparent, she preemptively kills herself. Wrote
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Contemporary reviews were polite and warm. It was a box office success grossing $ 1.4 million.
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doctor, is an incorrigible flirt and has many suitors. Her father Dr. Besant (
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Complete prints of the film still exist. In the 1990s it was restored by the
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that had more natural movement and acting than other early talkies.
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home, but Norma refuses, saying she would like to walk home alone.
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For the 1949 Mexican musical (English translation: Coquette), see
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Films featuring a Best Actress Academy Award-winning performance
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in the 1990s. It is one of two United Artists' films owned by
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in 1926. She tried an older role with her final silent film,
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List of films with the most Academy Awards per ceremony
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In 2008, a legal battle ensued between The Academy and
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1271:Films with screenplays by Sam Taylor (director)
901:. Lexington, KY: University Press of Kentucky.
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508:the role was adult, with Pickford portraying a
671:United Artists: The Company Built by the Stars
549:launched Pickford as a competent talkie star.
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898:Pickford: The Woman Who Made Hollywood
588:Pickford was a founding member of the
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751:Ernst, Morris; Lorentz, Pare (1930).
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436:, has since become a jazz standard.
23:. For the 1983 Mexican musical, see
757:. New York: Jonathan Cape. p.
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369:by John Grey, Allen McNeil and
46:Promotional poster for the film
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560:was released on home video by
241:Academy Award for Best Actress
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1256:American films based on plays
837:New York Times, April 6, 1929
700:"Casts of Current Photoplays"
675:University of Wisconsin Press
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614:' heirs over the sale of the
1261:Films directed by Sam Taylor
1251:1920s English-language films
971:AFI Catalog of Feature Films
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251:Norma Besant, daughter of a
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1149:Du Barry, Woman of Passion
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440:Place in Pickford's career
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1141:The Taming of the Shrew
407:William Cameron Menzies
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171:April 5, 1929
16:1929 film by Sam Taylor
1045:The Mohican's Daughter
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367:adapted for the screen
981:, virtual-history.com
876:The Los Angeles Times
536:
350:Production background
1286:1920s American films
1281:United Artists films
669:Balio, Tino (2009).
566:Turner Entertainment
379:Ann Preston Bridgers
315:as Stanley Wentworth
89:Ann Preston Bridgers
1213:Nothing but Trouble
878:. October 28, 2008.
554:Library of Congress
479:Little Annie Rooney
385:in the title role.
339:as Robert Wentworth
228:is a 1929 American
25:Coqueta (1983 film)
21:Coqueta (1949 film)
1125:The Woman Disputed
1015:Films directed by
959:TCM Movie Database
849:, pp. 262–263
789:, pp. 256–258
601:2nd Academy Awards
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321:as Dr. John Besant
309:as Michael Jeffery
279:breaks down under
259:) favors Stanley (
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1093:For Heaven's Sake
908:978-0-8131-2045-4
893:Whitfield, Eileen
684:978-0-299-23004-3
562:MGM/UA Home Video
451:Douglas Fairbanks
415:production design
373:from the play by
307:Johnny Mack Brown
281:cross examination
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714:. June 1929.
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574:Warner Bros.
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187:Running time
164:Release date
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67:Allen McNeil
29:
568:as part of
419:Karl Struss
383:Helen Hayes
235:, starring
127:Karl Struss
95:Produced by
52:Directed by
1236:1929 films
1230:Categories
1061:Why Worry?
1017:Sam Taylor
872:"L.A. Now"
735:1089199357
652:References
595:The first
537:Lobby card
424:The song "
371:Sam Taylor
313:Matt Moore
261:Matt Moore
233:drama film
214:Box office
191:76 minutes
175:1929-04-05
117:Matt Moore
98:Sam Taylor
69:Sam Taylor
62:Written by
56:Sam Taylor
1077:Hot Water
704:Photoplay
584:Accolades
467:Pollyanna
409:provided
133:Edited by
81:1927 play
65:John Grey
1133:Coquette
1069:Girl Shy
1037:Dr. Jack
978:Coquette
965:Coquette
954:Coquette
948:AllMovie
943:Coquette
932:Coquette
917:37465308
895:(1997).
727:Coquette
630:See also
621:Coquette
616:Coquette
605:Pickfair
558:Coquette
547:Coquette
502:Coquette
498:Coquette
484:Sparrows
426:Coquette
400:enceinte
345:as Julia
253:Southern
230:pre-Code
225:Coquette
204:Language
143:Music by
107:Starring
78:Coquette
74:Based on
35:Coquette
1165:Skyline
1117:Tempest
968:at the
957:at the
529:Release
510:flapper
395:Lorentz
208:English
196:Country
173: (
1216:(1944)
1208:(1935)
1200:(1934)
1192:(1933)
1184:(1932)
1176:(1931)
1168:(1931)
1160:(1931)
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1136:(1929)
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1120:(1928)
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681:
473:Rosita
453:, and
360:talkie
356:silent
710:(1):
657:Notes
413:, or
391:Ernst
1157:Kiki
937:IMDb
913:OCLC
903:ISBN
731:OCLC
679:ISBN
432:and
393:and
377:and
295:Cast
247:Plot
946:at
935:at
712:144
689:p92
570:MGM
83:by
1232::
911:.
874:.
818:^
779:^
743:^
708:36
706:.
702:.
677:.
673:.
580:.
421:.
243:.
1008:e
1001:t
994:v
919:.
761:.
759:9
737:.
687:.
177:)
27:.
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