A Lady to Love

Film in Focus

By Ed Garea

A Lady to Love (MGM, 1930) – Director: Victor Sjostrom. Writer: Sidney Howard (s/p & play They Knew What They Wanted). Stars: Vilma Banky, Edward G. Robinson, Robert Ames, Richard Carle, Lloyd Ingraham, Anderson Lawler, Gum Chin, Henry Armetta & George Davis. B&W, 92 minutes.

According to the popular wisdom, Vilma Banky was a Hungarian actress discovered by Sam Goldwyn and turned into a big star in silents, his biggest moneymaker. But when it came time for talkies, her thick Hungarian accent prevented her from making the transition to sound and she retired to married life with Rod LaRocque.

That’s the popular version, anyway. Reality has a habit of being quite different, as witness this film. Banky not only comes off quite well, but her so-called thick accent is actually lighter than that of Zsa Zsa Gabor. As an actress Banky easily outdoes the hammy antics of her co-star, Edward G. Robinson, whose Italian accent in the film makes one think his elocution teacher was Chico Marx.

In this seldom seen and underrated delight, Robinson owns a prosperous vineyard in the Napa Valley. One day he calls Father McKee (Ingraham) to his place to tell the good father he has decided to get married. He also breaks the news to his young foreman, Buck (Ames), who he sees as being like a son. And how will he do this, they ask. Simple, he’ll go to San Francisco and check out the merchandise there. He feels he’s bound to find a wife.

When he goes to San Francisco he spots a waitress named Lena (Banky) at a local eatery. Returning home he finds he cannot get her out of his mind and so decides to write her a letter asking for her hand in marriage. Buck ghost writes the letter for Tony and tells him he should include a photo. Tony is reluctant, as he doesn’t believe himself handsome enough to entice her to come. He does decide to enclose a photo before he sends it off, but it is a photo of Buck.     

Anxious for a stable home, Lena accepts the offer, but on the way to the train station to meet her Tony gets in a car accident, breaking both legs. When Lena arrives, she is met by Buck, and judging from the photo that was sent, she thinks Buck is Tony. Later on, when Tony finally arrives, Lena is shocked to discover the man she agreed to marry is certainly not who she thought he was. When she first lays eyes on Tony her first reaction is, “Who’s that old man?” But Tony clears up any misunderstandings by appealing to Lena's practical side, making her realizes it is far better to marry him than going back and waiting tables.

But there is another reason for Lena’s decision to stay, and that is Buck. The two are immediately taken with one another and Lena is soon embroiled in an affair with Buck while dutifully attending to Tony. However, guilt gets the best of Buck and he leaves.    

Without Buck to distract her, Lena warms to Tony and becomes his attentive and devoted wife. However, this placid contentment can’t last forever, for Buck returns to take Lena away with him. Though she’s tempted to go with Buck, Lena realizes she deeply loves Tony and sends Buck away.

Afterwords

Banky is just fine as Lena, playing her as on edge and a simmering volcano just beneath the calm surface, as witness her scenes with Buck. She portrays herself as being from Switzerland and her accent matches the origin beautifully. There are two reason I can think of as to why Banky failed so spectacularly in talkies. One was the tyranny of sound itself in the early days. Accents of any type were just not permissible unless the actor had that quality of mystery, as did Garbo. At the same time, however, Garbo’s films were far, far more popular in the lucrative foreign markets, especially Europe, than they were in America. As for Bela Lugosi, he was limited to horror films at Universal. To play any other type of role he was forced to work on Poverty Row. The other reason that comes to mind was that Banky was a bit on the chunky side. There was actually nothing wrong, as she had a sexy, voluptuous figure, but “skinny Minnie” flapper types were the rage, with the only exceptions being comediennes like Marie Dressler and Polly Moran. At any rate Banky was extremely dissatisfied with Hollywood and gladly retired to life with her husband. She and LaRocque would later make a fortune in the real estate market.

As for Robinson, he wins the ham for his portrayal of Tony. Over the top is too mild a way to describe it. There is one moment in the film where Lena insists on giving Tony a well-needed sponge bath in bed. This is the perfect moment for Robinson to chew the scenery and he does so with delicious abandon, crying and screen that he just “took-a bath on-a our wedding day!”

Robert Ames is fine and understated as Buck, whose lust for Lena conflicts with his loyalty to Tony. Ambers came from a strong background on the stage and in vaudeville, He became an alcoholic after a string (4) of unsuccessful marriages and dalliances. At the time of his death he was in a relationship with Ina Claire. Ames died from the effects of severe alcohol withdrawal symptoms, known as delirium tremens (the DTs), at the age of 42.

A Lady to Love, which is in the public domain and can be accessed on You Tube, was simultaneously filmed in German as Die Sehnsucht jeder Frau (The Desire of Every Woman) for the all-important German market. Banky’s last film was as Erika Leroy in Deutsche Universal’s Der Rebell (The Rebel) in 1933. Reportedly, it was a great favorite of Adolph Hitler, who has a copy of it in his private film collection.