''Forbidden Paradise'' is a 1924 American silent drama film, directed by Ernst Lubitsch, produced by Famous Players–Lasky, and distributed by

Paramount Pictures Paramount Pictures Corporation is an American film and television production company, production and Distribution (marketing), distribution company and the main namesake division of Paramount Global (formerly ViacomCBS). It is the fifth-oldes ...

. The film is based on a 1922 Broadway play, ''The Czarina'', by Edward Sheldon, who adapted the Hungarian-language book by Melchior Lengyel and

Lajos Bíró Lajos Bíró (; born Lajos Blau; 22 August 1880 – 9 September 1948) was a Hungarian novelist, playwright, and screenwriter who wrote many films from the early 1920s through the late 1940s. Life He was born in Nagyvárad, Kingdom of Hunga ...

. The play starred

Doris Keane Doris Keane (December 12, 1881 – November 25, 1945) was an American actress, primarily in live theatre. Early life and family Keane was born in Michigan to Joseph Keane and Florence Winter. She was educated privately in Chicago, New York, Pa ...

, in one of her last stage roles, as

Catherine the Great , en, Catherine Alexeievna Romanova, link=yes , house = , father = Christian August, Prince of Anhalt-Zerbst , mother = Joanna Elisabeth of Holstein-Gottorp , birth_date = , birth_name = Princess Sophie of Anhal ...

Basil Rathbone Philip St. John Basil Rathbone MC (13 June 1892 – 21 July 1967) was a South African-born English actor. He rose to prominence in the United Kingdom as a Shakespearean stage actor and went on to appear in more than 70 films, primarily costume ...

costarred with Keane. The film stars Pola Negri as Catherine the Great and

Rod La Rocque Roderick Ross La Rocque (November 29, 1898 – October 15, 1969) was an American actor. Biography La Rocque was born in Chicago, Illinois to Edmund La Rocque and Ann (née Rice) La Rocque. His father was of French-Canadian descent and his mo ...

in the Rathbone role. Clark Gable makes his second appearance on film.

Plot

As described in a review in a film magazine, Catherine (Negri), the Czarina of a small European country, decides to give audience in person to the French Ambassador (Malatesta) when she learns he is a favorite with the Parisian ladies. In the meantime, Alexei (La Rocque), a young officer in a border town discovers a revolution is in progress and hurries to the palace, forcing an entrance into the Czarina’s presence. So impressed is she that she forgets the revolution and the Ambassador and bestows her favor on Alexei, who finds himself a popular favorite and is made captain of the royal guard. Alexei neglects his fiancé Anna (Starke), one of the queen’s ladies-in-waiting. At a banquet he discovers four other officers wearing the insignia of the queen’s favor and, when he reproaches her, she chides him to avoid scandal. Disillusioned, he joins the revolution and tells the queen she is under arrest. The Chamberlain has bought off the leaders and Alexei is court-martialed and sentenced to death. The Czarina, unable to win him back, graciously pardons him even knowing that he will marry Anna. The French Ambassador is ushered in and soon reappears wearing one of the telltale decorations.

Cast

* Pola Negri as Catherine (the Czarina) *

as Capt. Alexei Czerny * Adolphe Menjou as Chancellor * Pauline Starke as Anna * Fred Malatesta as French ambassador * Nick De Ruiz as The General * Carrie Daumery as Lady-in-Waiting * Clark Gable as Soldier in Czarina's guard (uncredited) * Carlton Griffin as Officer (uncredited) * William Quinn (uncredited) * Leo White as Driver (uncredited)

Preservation

Complete prints of ''Forbidden Paradise'' are located in the George Eastman Museum Motion Picture Collection, Museum of Modern Art, Cinematek, and EYE Film Institute Netherlands.Library of Congress American Silent Feature Film Survival Database: ''Forbidden Paradise''
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References

External links

* * 1924 films American silent feature films American black-and-white films Films directed by Ernst Lubitsch Films set in Russia American biographical drama films Films based on Hungarian novels American films based on plays 1920s biographical drama films Films about Catherine the Great Films based on adaptations 1924 drama films 1920s American films Silent American drama films {{1920s-silent-drama-film-stub

Plot

Cast

Preservation

See also

References

External links