The Yellow Lily (1928) [N/A]
Featuring:
Billie Dove, Clive Brook, Gustav von Seyffertitz
Written by:
Lajos Biró
Garrett Graham
Bess Meredyth
Directed by:
Alexander Korda
Release Date:
May 28, 1928
Original Title:
The Yellow Lily
Genres:
Drama | Romance
Production Companies:
First National Pictures
Production Countries:
United States of America
Ratings / Certifications:
N/A
Runtime: 65
Archduke Alexander (Clive Brook) is better known for his sexual conquests than his diplomatic triumphs. After a lifetime of loving 'em and leaving 'em, the Archduke finally meets a girl he can't leave, Hungarian lass Judith Peredy (Billie Dove). She resists his advances but can't hide the fact that she's in love with him. The Yellow Lily was the second of four cinematic collaborations between star Billie Dove and director Alexander Korda.
Billie Dove stars as a beautiful country girl who catches the eye of a roguish archduke (Clive Brook) while visiting her brother who is the local doctor. He's easily bored with his conquests and is trying to get rid of an actress (Jane Winton) to turns dramatic and threatens to kill herself if he sends her away. He sends her away so she swallows a vial of poison and collapses dramatically on the steps.She's taken to the doctor, but of course she was merely faking. That clears the way for Brook to pursue Love, but she has no interest in him. He holds a fancy ball and invites her and the brother but she eludes all his attempts to corner her in a locked room.Finally, he has the doctor called away on a fake medical emergency so he can corner Love in her own house. But the doctor catches on and races back to save his sister. He then confronts the archduke with a pistol but it's knocked out of his hand. Love picks it up and fires just as Brook is about to kill the doctor.While Brook hovers between life and death, Love and the doctor are imprisoned. When the archduke's father tries to trick Love into admitting a murder attempt (rather than an accident), she defies his threats and returns to jail. But as the archdukes recovers, he realizes the error of his ways and tries to free Love and the doctor. Will love conquer all? Billie Dove and Jane Winton are gorgeous here, both dark haired and big eyed. Clive Brook has the proper look of cruelty. Gustav von Seyffertitz is sleazy as the assistant. Marc McDermott and Eugenie Besserer are fine as the archduke's parents. Nicholas Soussanin plays the doctor. The sets are impressive, and the costumes lavish. But the story seems a tad familiar. The title refers to the name of a waltz they dance to.
