Millie (1931)

Millie (1931)

“Millie” is a 1931 pre-Code romantic tragedy drama film directed by John Francis Dillon, written by Charles Kenyon and Ralph Morgan, based on the 1930 novel of the same name by Donald Henderson Clarke.

Millie Blake Maitland is a naïve young woman who has married a wealthy man from New York, Jack Maitland. Three years later, unhappy in her marriage due to her husband’s continued infidelity, she asks for and receives a divorce. Because of her pride, she does not want his money, but she also does not want to deprive her daughter of a comfortable lifestyle. She allows Jack and his mother, Mrs. Maitland, to retain custody of her daughter, Connie Maitland.

Focusing on her career, she rises through the hierarchy of the hotel where she is employed, shunning the attention of the rich banker Jimmy Damier, preferring the attentions of the reporter Tommy Rock, although, due to her prior sour relationship, she refuses to marry him. Eventually, Millie is promoted to the head of operations for the hotel. At the same time, Tommy is offered a lucrative position at the bank by Damier, as a favor to Millie. However, at the celebration party, Millie discovers that Tommy, just like Maitland, is cheating on her.

Betrayed a second time, Millie becomes very bitter. With her female cohorts, Helen Riley and Angie, Wickerstaff, Millie becomes a woman who loves a good time, floating from man to man. This goes on for several years, until she hears that Damier has taken an interest in her teen-age daughter, Connie, who bears a striking resemblance to her. Millie warns Damier to leave her daughter alone, but, although he promises to stay away from Connie, he ignores Millie’s warning and takes Connie to a remote lodge to groom her. Millie is tipped off, goes to the lodge with a gun, confronts Jimmy and kills him.

In the ensuing murder trial, Millie tries to keep her daughter’s name out of the press and claims not to remember why she shot Jimmy. She says that another woman ran out of the lodge after the shot, but claims that she did not see who the woman was and has no idea as to her identity. The prosecution thus claims that Millie’s motive was jealousy of Jimmy’s romantic relationship with this unknown other woman. Millie’s friends, however, help to bring out the truth, and when the jury finds out that Millie’s true motive was to protect her daughter from Jimmy’s lascivious intentions, they acquit her. In the end, Millie is reunited with her daughter and her estranged husband’s family.

Cast:

• Helen Twelvetrees – Millie Blake Maitland
• Lilyan Tashman – Helen Riley
• Robert Ames – Tommy Rock
• James Hall – Jack Maitland
• John Halliday – Jimmy Damier
• Joan Blondell – Angie Wickerstaff
• Anita Louise – Connie Maitland
• Edmund Breese – Bob O’Fallon
• Frank McHugh – Johnny Holmes
• Charlotte Walker – Mrs Maitland
• Franklin Parker – Spring
• Charles Delaney – Mike
• Harry Stubbs – Mark Marks

„Millie“ ist eine Tragödie aus dem Jahr 1931, das noch vor Inkrafttreten des Hays-Codes entstand. Regie führte John Francis Dillon, das Drehbuch schrieben Charles Kenyon und Ralph Morgan nach dem gleichnamigen Roman von Donald Henderson Clarke aus dem Jahr 1930.

Millie Blake Maitland ist eine naive junge Frau, die einen wohlhabenden Mann aus New York, Jack Maitland, geheiratet hat. Drei Jahre später ist sie aufgrund der anhaltenden Untreue ihres Mannes unglücklich in ihrer Ehe und beantragt die Scheidung, die ihr auch gewährt wird. Aus Stolz will sie sein Geld nicht, möchte ihrer Tochter aber auch keinen komfortablen Lebensstil vorenthalten. Sie gestattet Jack und seiner Mutter, Mrs. Maitland, das Sorgerecht für ihre Tochter Connie Maitland zu behalten.

Sie konzentriert sich auf ihre Karriere und steigt in der Hierarchie des Hotels, in dem sie beschäftigt ist, auf. Dabei weist sie die Avancen des reichen Bankiers Jimmy Damier zurück und zieht die Aufmerksamkeit des Reporters Tommy Rock vor, obwohl sie sich aufgrund ihrer früheren unglücklichen Beziehung weigert, ihn zu heiraten. Schließlich wird Millie zur Betriebsleiterin des Hotels befördert. Gleichzeitig wird Tommy von Damier als Gefallen für Millie eine lukrative Stelle bei der Bank angeboten. Bei der Feier entdeckt Millie jedoch, dass Tommy sie, genau wie Maitland, betrügt.