''Madam Satan'' or ''Madame Satan'' is a 1930 American

pre-Code Pre-Code Hollywood was an era in the Cinema of the United States, American film industry that occurred between the widespread adoption of sound in film in the late 1920s and the enforcement of the Motion Picture Production Code censorship gui ...

musical comedy Musical theatre is a form of theatre, theatrical performance that combines songs, spoken dialogue, acting and dance. The story and emotional content of a musical – humor, pathos, love, anger – are communicated through words, music, ...

film in black and white with

Multicolor Multicolor is a Subtractive color, subtractive two-color Color motion picture film, motion picture process. Multicolor, introduced to the motion picture industry in 1929, was based on the earlier Prizma, Prizma Color process, and was the forer ...

sequences. It was produced and directed by Cecil B. DeMille and starred Kay Johnson, Reginald Denny, Lillian Roth, and Roland Young. ''Madam Satan'' has been called one of the oddest films DeMille made and certainly one of the oddest MGM made during Hollywood's "golden age". Thematically, this marked an attempt by DeMille to return to the boudoir comedies genre that had brought him financial success about 10 years earlier.

Plot

The first 50 minutes present four characters' relationships, with the next 1 hour and 10 minutes set on a Zeppelin trip. One morning after awakening to discover her husband Bob ( Reginald Denny) never returned home last night, socialite Angela Brooks ( Kay Johnson) reads in the newspaper that Bob and a woman named "Mrs. Brooks" were in night court together along with Bob's best friend Jimmy Wade ( Roland Young). The woman is actually a showgirl Bob has been seeing named Trixie ( Lillian Roth), but Bob claims that Trixie is Jimmy's new wife. Angela is more amused than angered by the clumsy lies, but it soon becomes clear that Bob has lost interest in their marriage, as he feels Angela has become staid and cold. They each declare that they are moving out and leaving the other, but Angela instantly repents. Her maid encourages her to fight for her happiness. Angela tells Jimmy that she has left home and will spend the night at the apartment he shares with his supposed wife Trixie. Trixie doesn't know about Bob's lie, so Jimmy rushes to her apartment to warn her. Trixie is displeased because she wants Bob all to herself. But when Angela arrives they reluctantly pretend to be married while Angela tries to trick them into revealing the truth. The scene becomes more farcical when Bob arrives as well, while Trixie is hiding; Jimmy conceals Angela under a blanket and says she is his girlfriend, a married woman whose name he will not reveal. Trixie reenters so that Bob will know the woman is not her. After the men leave, Trixie observes that Angela was caught in her own trap. She says that the difference between them is that Trixie understands the things that a man wants in a woman, and as long as she gives them to Bob, he will stay with her. Angela takes that as a challenge and says she can outdo whatever Trixie is capable of doing. An elaborate masquerade ball is to be held by Jimmy aboard a moored

rigid airship A rigid airship is a type of airship (or dirigible) in which the Aerostat, envelope is supported by an internal framework rather than by being kept in shape by the pressure of the lifting gas within the envelope, as in blimps (also called pres ...

, the

Zeppelin A Zeppelin is a type of rigid airship named after the German inventor Ferdinand von Zeppelin () who pioneered rigid airship development at the beginning of the 20th century. Zeppelin's notions were first formulated in 1874Eckener 1938, pp. 155� ...

CB-P-55. To win back her husband's affections, Angela decides to attend the soiree as a mysterious devil woman with a French accent, "Madam Satan", to "vamp" him. Now hidden behind her mask and wrapped in an alluring gown that reveals more than it covers, Angela finds her errant husband and begins teaching him a lesson. To Trixie's dismay, Bob is indeed bewitched by Angela in her devil woman persona, nothing like the demure spouse he left at home. During the ball, several exotic musical numbers are performed. A severe thunderstorm quickly moves in, and the airship is damaged and breaks free and now in danger of breaking apart. Everyone begins to panic as they are told to abandon ship and parachute to the ground. By that time Angela has unmasked and made herself known to Bob, who quickly resents her deception. He gives her his parachute harness and goes to find another harness for Trixie after she is unable to find one; Angela extorts a promise from Trixie to leave Bob alone in return for her own parachute harness. When Bob returns, he gives Angela his, and she parachutes safely into the open jump seat of a convertible car in which a couple are making out. Bob rides down a portion of the now broken apart zeppelin, diving at the last minute into the city reservoir just before impact. Jimmy ends up in a tree in the middle of the lion enclosure at the city zoo. Trixie parachutes through the roof of a

Turkish bath A hammam (), also often called a Turkish bath by Westerners, is a type of steam bath or a place of public bathing associated with the Islamic world. It is a prominent feature in the culture of the Muslim world and was inherited from the model ...

full of toweled men who immediately scramble to cover themselves. The next day, Angela, who is unharmed, and Bob, who has his arm in a sling, reconcile after a visit from a heavily bandaged Jimmy. What is interesting about the film is that the destruction of the moored zeppelin by a thunderstorm in this film prefigures the destruction seven years later in 1937 of the German airship Hindenburg when moored at Lakehurst, New Jersey just after a transatlantic flight.

Cast

The cast of ''Madam Satan'' is listed by the American Film Institute. * Kay Johnson as Angela Brooks * Reginald Denny as Bob Brooks * Lillian Roth as Trixie * Roland Young as Jimmy Wade *Elsa Peterson as Martha * Boyd Irwin as Captain * Wallace MacDonald as First mate *

Wilfred Lucas Wilfred Van Norman Lucas (January 30, 1871 – December 13, 1940) was a Canadian American stage actor who found success in film as an actor, director, and screenwriter. Early life Lucas was born in Norfolk County, Ontario on January 30, 1871,US ...

as Roman senator * Tyler Brooke as Romeo * Lotus Thompson as Eve *Vera Marsh as Call of the Wild * Martha Sleeper as Fish girl *Doris McMahon as Water *Marie Valli as Confusion * Julanne Johnston as Miss Conning Tower *

Albert Conti Albert Maroica Blasius Franz Maria, ''Ritter'' Conti von Cedassamare (29 January 1887 – 18 January 1967), commonly known as Albert Conti, was an Austrian Americans, Austrian-American actor. He was a member of the noble Kaboga family. Biograph ...

as Empire officer *Earl Askam as Pirate * Betty Francisco as Little Rolls Riding Hood * Ynez Seabury as Babo *Countess De Liguoro as Spain *Katharine Irving as Spider Girl *Aileen Ransom as Victory * Theodore Kosloff as Electricity *Jack King as Herman *Edward Prinz as Biff *

Abe Lyman Abe Lyman (born Abraham Simon; August 4, 1897 – October 23, 1957) was a bandleader from the 1920s to the 1940s. He made recordings, appeared in films and provided the music for numerous radio shows, including '' Your Hit Parade''. Biography Bo ...

and his Orchestra Katherine DeMille, DeMille's daughter, was an uncredited "Zeppelin Reveler". Cecil B. DeMille voices an uncredited Radio Newscaster

Music

Songs * "Live and Love Today", sung by Elsa Petersen and Kay Johnson, words by Elsie Janis, music by Jack King * "All I Know Is You're in My Arms", sung by Reginald Denny and Kay Johnson * "This Is Love", sung by Reginald Denny and Kay Johnson (Missing from extant prints (see below); words by Clifford Grey, music by Herbert Stothart * "Meet Madam", sung by Kay Johnson, by Grey and Stothhart * "Low Down", sung by Lillian Roth * "The Cat Walk", sung by Wallace MacDonald, by Grey and Stothhart * "We're Going Somewhere" * " Ballet Mecanique", uncredited Soundtrack

, who can be seen in ''Madam Satan'', was hired to play the music. He recorded two numbers from the film for

Brunswick Records Brunswick Records is an American record label founded in 1916. History 1916–1929 Records under the Brunswick label were first produced by the Brunswick-Balke-Collender Company, a company based in Dubuque, Iowa which had been manufacturing ...

. "Live And Love Today" and "This Is Love" were released on Brunswick's popular 10-inch series as record number 4804. Regal label in Australia also released a version of "Live And Love To-Day" by the Rhythmic Troubadours, record number G20999, in 1930. Choreography
Theodore Kosloff, a DeMille regular who was better known as a dance director, was originally hired by DeMille to do the film's choreography, but MGM insisted on

Leroy Prinz LeRoy Jerome Prinz (July 14, 1895 – September 15, 1983) was an American choreographer, director and producer, who was involved in the production of dozens of motion pictures, mainly for Paramount Pictures and Warner Brothers, from 1929 through ...

. However, some dance experts believe that Kosloff did choreograph the "Ballet Mechanicique", as it seems more representative of his work than that of Prinz.

Production

The Zeppelin sequences were originally filmed in

. The color sequences were praised by reviewers for their richness and beauty. These color sequences survive only in a black and white copy today. DeMille originally wanted writer Dorothy Parker to augment Jeanie MacPherson's original script. Learning that Parker was living in France, and that this would make collaboration too difficult, DeMille then sought vaudeville writer Elsie Janis.Birchard 2004, p.246. She agreed to work on the project, but left amicably on March 24, 1930, due to creative differences. Janis reportedly did not like the direction the script was going.Birchard 2004, p.243. Hollywood censor Jason Joy worked with DeMille to minimize censorable elements in the potentially objectionable script. "They agreed to put less revealing costumes on the girls at the masquerade party. Body stockings, larger fig leaves and translucent fishnets took care of most of the

nudity Nudity is the state of being in which a human is without clothing. While estimates vary, for the first 90,000 years of pre-history, anatomically modern humans were naked, having lost their body hair, living in hospitable climates, and not ...

. The drinking scenes were toned down ...", Angela's "Madam Satan" costume also was made less revealing. An entire scene in which Angela confronts Trixie, and Trixie is shown wearing a sheer nightgown because she "has nothing to hide" was deleted. The collaboration ended up being agreeable to both men. The notoriously finicky Ohio censor board passed the film without cuts. Thomas Meighan was sought for the lead role of Bob Brooks before Reginald Denny was cast on January 9, 1930. DeMille wanted

Gloria Swanson Gloria Mae Josephine Swanson (March 27, 1899April 4, 1983) was an American actress. She first achieved fame acting in dozens of silent films in the 1920s and was nominated three times for the Academy Award for Best Actress, most famously for h ...

for the role of Angela, but her lover and business partner Joseph P. Kennedy reportedly persuaded her not to accept the role. Swanson still was trying to salvage her disastrous venture in '' Queen Kelly'' (1929) and was advised to appear in films only made by her own production company. Although originally scheduled to be shot in 70 days, it took 59, with principal photography commencing on March 3 and ending on May 2, 1930.Birchard 2004, p.241. ''Madam Satan'' was the most expensive film made by Metro in 1930, and would remain its most expensive musical until ''

The Merry Widow ''The Merry Widow'' ( ) is an operetta by the Austria-Hungary, Austro-Hungarian composer Franz Lehár. The Libretto, librettists, Viktor Léon and Leo Stein (writer), Leo Stein, based the story – concerning a rich widow, and her countrymen's ...

'' (1934).Barrios 1995, p.260.

Reception

''Madam Satan'' was released at a time when American theaters had become saturated with musicals, and as a result, it was a financial failure, eventually resulting in a net loss of $390,000. In his review for ''

The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''NYT'') is an American daily newspaper based in New York City. ''The New York Times'' covers domestic, national, and international news, and publishes opinion pieces, investigative reports, and reviews. As one of ...

'', film critic

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.Los Angeles Times The ''Los Angeles Times'' is an American Newspaper#Daily, daily newspaper that began publishing in Los Angeles, California, in 1881. Based in the Greater Los Angeles city of El Segundo, California, El Segundo since 2018, it is the List of new ...

'' noted: "The general impression of the DeMille picture is that it is too much in one key. The superabundance of sound palls, and leaves one weary. Besides, there is a staginess about the whole result that casts anything approaching convictions to one side." ''The Film Daily'', a trade paper widely read by theater owners in 1930, also highlighted in its review the production's alleged excesses, including its extravagant production values and the frequent use of "risque lines" in its dialogue. "'Madam Satan'"
review, ''The Film Daily'' (New York, N.Y.), October 5, 1930, p. 10.

Internet Archive The Internet Archive is an American 501(c)(3) organization, non-profit organization founded in 1996 by Brewster Kahle that runs a digital library website, archive.org. It provides free access to collections of digitized media including web ...

, San Francisco, California. Retrieved March 15, 2020. The paper in its October 5 issue summarizes the film in all-capital letters as a "" E. B. White in ''

The New Yorker ''The New Yorker'' is an American magazine featuring journalism, commentary, criticism, essays, fiction, satire, cartoons, and poetry. It was founded on February 21, 1925, by Harold Ross and his wife Jane Grant, a reporter for ''The New York T ...

'', 11 October 1930, wrote:"it contrives some of the most ludicrous moments ever flung on screen". !-- https://newyorkerstateofmind.com/2019/10/29/will-it-play-in-peoria/ -->https://ochsnerblog.files.wordpress.com/2019/10/screen-shot-2019-10-22-at-12.13.12-pm.png Image/ref>

"probably the wackiest semi-musical-comedy/romance/drama/disaster film you're likely to encounter in this lifetime"

Today, a reassessment is taking place; though some only regard the film as an amusing oddity and an exercise in DeMille using "too much of everything just because he can."Nordin, Jonas (November 20, 2008
"Madam Satan (1930)."
'All Talking! All Singing! All Dancing!''. Retrieved: May 18, 2015.

Preservation

The current print of ''Madam Satan'' has all of the color sequences in black-and-white and is missing at least one musical number. According to film reviews of 1930, Kay Johnson and Reginald Denny originally sang "This Is Love," but in the currently circulating print, this song is only heard playing in the background during a scene in which Johnson is speaking to her maid.

Home media

The original Multicolor sequences of ''Madam Satan'' exist only in

black-and-white Black-and-white (B&W or B/W) images combine black and white to produce a range of achromatic brightnesses of grey. It is also known as greyscale in technical settings. Media The history of various visual media began with black and white, ...

. The film was released for home viewing on VHS and, as of November 9, 2010, was released on DVD via the Warner Archive Collection made-to-order process."Madam Satan."
''wbshop.com''. Retrieved: May 18, 2015. The film is televised by

Turner Classic Movies Turner Classic Movies (TCM) is an American movie channel, movie-oriented pay television, pay-TV television network, network owned by Warner Bros. Discovery. Launched in 1994, Turner Classic Movies is headquartered at Turner's Techwood broadcas ...

as part of the channel's standard programming rotation.Miller, Frank
"Madame Satan."

TCM.com Turner Classic Movies (TCM) is an American movie channel, movie-oriented pay television, pay-TV television network, network owned by Warner Bros. Discovery. Launched in 1994, Turner Classic Movies is headquartered at Turner's Techwood broadcas ...

Retrieved: May 18, 2015.

References

Notes

Sources

* Barrios, Richard (1995) ''A Song in the Dark: The Birth of the Musical Film''. New York: Oxford University Press. . * Birchard, Robert S. (2004) ''Cecil B. DeMille's Hollywood''. Lexington, Kentucky: University of Kentucky Press. . * Black, Gregory D. (1994) ''Hollywood Censored: Morality Codes, Catholics, and the Movies''. New York: Cambridge University Press. . * Eyman, Scott (2010) ''Empire of Dreams'' New York: Simon & Schuster. . * Higashi, Sumiko (1994) ''Cecil B. DeMille and American Culture: The Silent Era''. Berkeley, California: University of California Press. . * Ringgold, Gene and Bodeen (1969) ''The Films of Cecil B. DeMille''. Secaucus, New Jersey: Citadel Press, .

External links

* * *
The friendship behind 'Madam Satan,' Cecil B. DeMille's musical disaster
at KPCC (FM)
Stills and review
at pre-code.com

chloe van paris
Madam Satan
at TVTropes
PEEK INSIDE CECIL B. DEMILLE’S BIZARRO 1930 MASTER-FLOP, ‘MADAM SATAN’
at dangerousminds.net {{Cecil B. DeMille 1930 films 1930 musical comedy films 1930 romantic comedy films American aviation films American musical comedy films American romantic comedy films American romantic musical films Films about socialites Films directed by Cecil B. DeMille Films set in New York City Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer films 1930s English-language films 1930s American films English-language romantic comedy films English-language musical comedy films