''Luxury Liner'' is a 1933 American

pre-Code Pre-Code Hollywood was the brief era in the American film industry between the widespread adoption of sound in film in 1929LaSalle (2002), p. 1. and the enforcement of the Motion Picture Production Code censorship guidelines, popularly known ...

drama film In film and television, drama is a category or genre of narrative fiction (or semi-fiction) intended to be more serious than humorous in tone. Drama of this kind is usually qualified with additional terms that specify its particular super ...

directed by

Lothar Mendes Lothar Mendes (19 May 1894 – 24 February 1974) was a German-born screenwriter and film director. His two best known films are '' Jew Süss'' (1934) and '' The Man Who Could Work Miracles'' (1936), both productions for British studios. Career B ...

and starring

George Brent George Brent (born George Brendan Nolan; 15 March 1904 – 26 May 1979) was an Irish-American stage, film, and television actor. He is best remembered for the eleven films he made with Bette Davis, which included '' Jezebel'' and '' Dark Victo ...

, Zita Johann and Vivienne Osborne. It was based on a 1932 novel by Gina Kaus, and made by Paramount Pictures. Mendes worked on a number of films for Paramount during the era. Shortly after making the film, he went to Britain where he directed his most celebrated film '' Jew Süss''.Bock & Bergfelder p.319

Plot

The steamship ''Germania'' is setting sail from Bremen to New York, with a stop in Cherbourg. Dr. Veith is annoyed that he has been assigned to be the ship's doctor, as he would rather stay home with his family. His married friend and fellow ship's officer Baron von Luden tries to flirt with the ship's nurse, Morgan, but she is not interested. Veith says Morgan seems to have no friends and never leaves the ship when it is in port. Dr. Veith meets his old friend Dr. Bernhard (George Brent), who is desperate to sail on the sold-out ship because his wife Sybil (Vivienne Osborne) is on board, running away with her lover, the financier Alex Stevanson (Frank Morgan). Veith arranges for Bernhard to take his place. To Bernhard's surprise, his wife's cabin is empty; a maid suggests that she might board at Cherbourg. Milli Lensch (Alice White), a winsome young blonde who is traveling in third class, but eager to make her way up in the world, flirts with old Edward Thorndyke (C. Aubrey Smith). Thorndyke was once a wealthy textile manufacturer, but he was ruined by Stevanson and is now seeking to start over in America. Schultz, one of Thorndyke’s former employees and now a company owner, comes down from 2nd class to invite Thorndyke (and Milli) to take tea with him tomorrow. Thorndyke turns him down, but Milli is delighted to accept. After the ship docks at Cherbourg, Bernhard goes to his wife's cabin, but she locks the door and refuses to see him. Bernhard is called away by a medical emergency before he can break the door down. Meanwhile, Stevanson is very pleased to encounter opera singer Luise Marheim (Verree Teasdale). Stevanson sends a telegram ordering the purchase of German-American Steamship shares, causing other passengers to also rush to buy the stock. When the third-class passengers want to pool their meager funds to do the same, Thorndyke reluctantly offers to handle the transaction. Milli enjoys dancing in second class, although she fails to persuade Schultz to buy her a present. When Schultz's business acquaintance, jewelry dealer Exl (Theodore von Eltz), comes along, she gets him to invite her up to first class. This disappoints an elevator operator (Barry Norton) who has fallen for her and promised to show her New York. After a fine dinner and champagne, Exl takes Milli to his cabin and tries to force himself on her in return for a diamond bracelet. She flees to the arms of her elevator operator and realizes that she prefers to be poor but honorable. After Bernhard delivers a baby, he confronts his wayward wife. She tells him she never loved him. When Stevanson tries to intervene, Bernard punches him and leaves. Stevanson then has his things moved to another suite, much to Sybil's distress. Sybil finds Stevanson dining with Luise. He tells Sybil their relationship is over and he will "write her a check" to be rid of her. In his stateroom, Sybil kills Stevanson with the pistol she stole from Bernhard's desk. Bernhard arrives moments afterwards and takes the blame. When Morgan cannot make him defend himself, she becomes greatly agitated and reveals that, five years ago, she had a husband and two children. After he left her for another woman, she tried to kill herself and her children. She was saved, but her babies died. Bernhard regrets that he did not meet her sooner. Sybil then jumps overboard, but not before leaving a note in which she admits killing Stevanson. Bernhard and Morgan decide to start a new life together as the ship pulls into New York. With Stevanson dead, the value of German-American Steamship shares plummets. The third-class passengers fear they are penniless – until Thorndyke reveals that he never invested their money.

Cast

as Dr. Karl Bernhard * Zita Johann as Miss Morgan * Vivienne Osborne as Sybil Bernhard * Alice White as Milli Lensch *

Verree Teasdale Verree Teasdale (March 15, 1903 – February 17, 1987) was an American actress born in Spokane, Washington. Early years A second cousin of Edith Wharton, Teasdale attended Erasmus Hall High School in Brooklyn and trained as a stage actr ...

as Luise Marheim *

Frank Morgan Francis Phillip Wuppermann (June 1, 1890 – September 18, 1949), known professionally as Frank Morgan, was an American character actor. He was best known for his appearances in films starting in the silent era in 1916, and then numerous sound ...

as Alex Stevanson *

C. Aubrey Smith Sir Charles Aubrey Smith (21 July 1863 – 20 December 1948) was an English Test cricketer who became a stage and film actor, acquiring a niche as the officer-and-gentleman type, as in the first sound version of ''The Prisoner of Zenda'' (1937) ...

as Edward Thorndyke *

Wallis Clark Wallis Hensman Clark (2 March 1882 – 14 February 1961) was an English stage and film actor. Biography Clark was born in Bolton, Lancashire, England, the son of William Wallis Clark (1854 - 1930), an engineer. Prior to acting, Clark was an en ...

as Dr. Veith *

Henry Wadsworth Henry Wadsworth Longfellow (February 27, 1807 – March 24, 1882) was an American poet and educator. His original works include "Paul Revere's Ride", ''The Song of Hiawatha'', and ''Evangeline''. He was the first American to completely transl ...

as Fritz * Billy Bevan as Schultz *

Theodore von Eltz Theodore von Eltz (November 5, 1893 – October 6, 1964) was an American film actor, appearing in more than 200 films between 1915 and 1957. He was the father of actress Lori March. Von Eltz was a Yale University professor's son. After 12 ...

as Exl *

Barry Norton Barry Norton (born Alfredo Carlos Birabén; June 16, 1905 – August 24, 1956) was an Argentine-American actor. He appeared in over 90 films, starting in silent films from 1925 until his death in 1956. He is perhaps best known for his role a ...

as Prince Vladimir Gleboff *

Henry Victor Henry Victor (2 October 1892 – 15 March 1945) was an English-born character actor who had his highest profile in the film silent era, he appeared in numerous film roles in Britain, before emigrating to the US in 1939 where he continued ...

as Baron von Luden *

Edith Yorke Edith Yorke (born Edith Murgatroyd; 23 December 1867 – 28 July 1934) was an English actress. She appeared in more than 60 films between 1919 and 1933. Biography Yorke was born in Derby; her family later moved to Croydon, Surrey. Edith re ...

as Mrs. Webber, a poor, elderly woman whose life is saved by Bernhard *

Christian Rub Christian Rub (pronounced ''Rhoob''; April 13, 1886 – April 14, 1956) was an Austrian-born American character actor. He was known for his work in films of the late 1910s to the early 1950s, and was featured in more than 100 films. Biography ...

as Peasant Father * Barbara Barondess as Frieda's Mother

Reception

Mordaunt Hall Mordaunt Hall (1 November 1878 – 2 July 1973) was the first regularly assigned motion picture critic for ''The New York Times'', working from October 1924 to September 1934.The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid d ...

'', was unimpressed, writing, "neither the story nor the dialogue live up to expectations. ... Mr. Mendes was evidently not inspired by the script furnished him and he fails to give more than a haphazard conception of the movement of the vessel, after the first quarter of the film. The attempt at levity is feeble and the clock-work-like manipulation of the happenings is often rather wearying." He felt there were "one or two competent performances by the principals" (C. Aubrey Smith, Zita Johann and Vivienne Osborne), but thought that Frank Morgan was miscast and George Brent was "not at his best".

References

Bibliography

* Bock, Hans-Michael & Bergfelder, Tim. ''The Concise Cinegraph: Encyclopaedia of German Cinema''. Berghahn Books, 2009.

External links

* * * *
''Luxury Liner'' (1933) full film on YouTube
{{Lothar Mendes 1933 films 1933 romantic drama films American black-and-white films American romantic drama films Films based on Austrian novels Films directed by Lothar Mendes Films produced by B. P. Schulberg Films set on ships Paramount Pictures films Seafaring films Films with screenplays by Kathryn Scola 1930s English-language films 1930s American films