The Last of Mrs Cheyney ** (1929, Norma Shearer, Basil Rathbone, George Barraud, Herbert Bunston, Hedda Hopper) Classic Movie Review 5792

Director Sidney Franklin’s 1929 pioneering sound-on-film movie version of Frederick Lonsdale’s famous play about a society jewel thief is ideally cast with Norma Shearer as the widowed Mrs Fay Cheyney and Basil Rathbone as the titled bounder who fancies her, sees through her and tries to use his knowledge to get her.

Shearer is good and stylish as Mrs Cheyney, who pretends to be a wealthy widow from Australia, gets herself invited to the best homes in London, and cases the joints for robberies which her ‘butler’ accomplice Charles (George Barraud) carries out.

At one house party, Mrs Cheyney sparks the interest of both rich old Lord Elton (George Barraud) and playboy Lord Arthur Dilling (Basil Rathbone), who susses out Mrs Cheyney when he recognizes Charles as a previously arrested thief.

The faded, early sound production produces a very dated movie that needs some patience, but it remains still highly watchable and enjoyable for the polished performances, witty dialogue and smart story.

Also in the cast are Herbert Bunston, Hedda Hopper, Moon Carroll, Madeline Seymour, Cyril Chadwick, George K Arthur, Frank Smiles and Maude Turner Gordon.

It is notable as MGM’s first optical soundtrack film – their movies had gone out on unreliable sound-on-discs before.

Hanns Kräly was Oscar nominated for Best Writing, Achievement.

It runs 94 minutes, is shot in black and white by William H Daniels, is produced by Irving Thalberg, is scored by William Axt, and designed by Cedric Gibbons.

It was remade in 1937 as The Last of Mrs Cheyney, with Joan Crawford, Robert Montgomery and William Powell.

The play opened first in London on 22 September 1925 and then on Broadway on 9 November 1925 with Helen Hayes and Roland Young, running 385 performances.

© Derek Winnert 2017 Classic Movie Review 5792

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