Trial Marriage

1929 American drama film directed by Erle C. Kenton

Trial Marriage

Directed by| Erle C. Kenton
Written by| Sonya Levien
Produced by| Harry Cohn
Starring| Norman Kerry
Sally Eilers
Cinematography| Joseph Walker
Edited by| Pandro S. Berman
William Hamilton

Production
company

Columbia Pictures Corporation

Release date

* March 10, 1929 (1929-03-10)

Running time

| 7 reels
Country| United States
Languages| Sound (Synchronized)
English intertitles

Trial Marriage is a 1929 American Synchronized sound pre-Code drama film directed by Erle C. Kenton from a story by Sonya Levien. While the film has no audible dialog, it was released with a synchronized musical score with sound effects using both the sound-on-disc and sound-on-film process. Produced by Harry Cohn for Columbia Pictures Corporation, the film was released on March 10, 1929.[1][2] Charles C. Coleman was assistant director.[3] As was the case for the majority of films during the early sound era, a silent version was prepared for theatres who had not yet converted to sound.

## Plot

[edit]

As reviewed in a magazine,[4] Constance Bannister (Eilers), a vivacious party girl, is engaged to Oliver Mowbray, who is her thirteenth fiancé. She throws him for Dr. Thorvald Ware (Robards), and they enter into a trial marriage where she finds happiness with him. Conniving society woman Grace (Todd), who wanted the doctor for herself, convinces Connie to go to a charity ball against the wishes of her husband where she dances the "Sally Shuffle"[5] while in a reveling costume. Thorvald dissolves the contract, not knowing that Connie is with child. Grace gets Thorvald and Connie marries Oliver. Years later, they meet again and find that they are all unhappy, so they all divorce and remarry again, with Connie now finding happiness and Thorvald discovering that he is the father of their child.

## Cast

[edit]

* Norman Kerry as Oliver Mowbray
* Sally Eilers as Constance Bannister
* Jason Robards as Dr. Thorvald Ware
* Thelma Todd as Grace
* Charles Clary as George Bannister
* Naomi Childers as Mrs. George Bannister, 1st wife
* Rosemary Theby as Mrs. George Bannister, 4th wife
* Gertrude Short as Prudence
* Billy Layman (uncredited)
* Kane Richmond Party Guest (uncredited)
* Ronald R. Rondell Party Guest (uncredited)

## Music

[edit]

The film featured a theme song entitled "I'll Never Forget" by Gus Kahn and Spike Hamilton. The song is sung by Frank Munn on the soundtrack. The song entitled "Dear Little Boy of Mine," composed by Ernest Ball and J. Keirn Brennan, was also featured on the soundtrack.

## Production

[edit]

The June 29, 1928 issue of The Film Daily announced that Millard Webb was originally selected to direct,[6] however he was ultimately not involved in the final film.

## Reception

[edit]

A negative review from Variety on April 17, 1929 wrote: "An uninteresting story given a trite, long-winded, complicated treatment, with no redeeming features in the picturization."[4]

Trial Marriage was the first film shown when the State Theater in Lexington, Kentucky, opened on April 20, 1929.[7]

## See also

[edit]

* List of early sound feature films (1926–1929)

## References

[edit]

1. ^ Trial Marriage. American Film Institute (AFI). Retrieved June 8, 2021.
2. ^ Edmonds, Andy (1989). Hot Toddy: The True Story of Hollywood's Most Sensational Murder. New York: William Morrow and Company. p. 269\. ISBN 0-688-08061-8.
3. ^ Progressive Silent Film List: Trial Marriage at silentera.com
4. ^ a b "Film Reviews". Variety. 95 (1). New York City: Variety, Inc.: 22, 25 April 17, 1929. Retrieved June 8, 2021.
5. ^ "Cinematic Review: Trial Marriage". The Kent Stater. 3 (34). Kent State University. July 13, 1929. Retrieved May 24, 2025.
6. ^ "Columbia to Make Trial Marriage". The Film Daily. Vol. 44, no. 77\. New York City: Wid's Films and Film Folk, Inc. June 29, 1928. p. 6. Retrieved June 9, 2021.
7. ^ Joder Jr., Orville (2016). "State Theater in Lexington, Ky". youtube.com. Retrieved May 24, 2025.

## External links

[edit]

* Trial Marriage at IMDb
* Trial Marriage at the AFI Catalog of Feature Films

* v
* t
* e

Films directed by Erle C. Kenton

* Salome vs. Shenandoah (1919)
* Down on the Farm (1920)
* Love, Honor and Behave (1920)
* A Small Town Idol (1921)
* A Fool and His Money (1925)
* The Danger Signal (1925)
* Red Hot Tires (1925)
* The Love Toy (1926)
* Other Women's Husbands (1926)
* The Sap (1926)
* The Palm Beach Girl (1926)
* The Rejuvenation of Aunt Mary (1927)
* The Girl in the Pullman (1927)
* Bare Knees (1928)
* Name the Woman (1928)
* Nothing to Wear (1928)
* Companionate Marriage (1928)
* Golf Widows (1928)
* The Street of Illusion (1928)
* The Sideshow (1928)
* The Sporting Age (1928)
* Trial Marriage (1929)
* Father and Son (1929)
* Song of Love (1929)
* Mexicali Rose (1929)
* A Royal Romance (1930)
* X Marks the Spot (1931)
* Left Over Ladies (1931)
* The Last Parade (1931)
* Guilty as Hell (1932)
* Island of Lost Souls (1932)
* From Hell to Heaven (1933)
* Disgraced! (1933)
* Big Executive (1933)
* Search for Beauty (1934)
* You're Telling Me! (1934)
* Party Wire (1935)
* The Best Man Wins (1935)
* The Public Menace (1935)
* Devil's Squadron (1936)
* Counterfeit (1936)
* She Asked for It (1937)
* The Devil's Playground (1937)
* Little Tough Guys in Society (1938)
* The Lady Objects (1938)
* Everything's on Ice (1939)
* Escape to Paradise (1939)
* Remedy for Riches (1940)
* Petticoat Politics (1941)
* Melody for Three (1941)
* Naval Academy (1941)
* They Meet Again (1941)
* Flying Cadets (1941)
* North to the Klondike (1942)
* The Ghost of Frankenstein (1942)
* Frisco Lil (1942)
* Pardon My Sarong (1942)
* Who Done It? (1942)
* It Ain't Hay (1943)
* House of Frankenstein (1944)
* She Gets Her Man (1945)
* House of Dracula (1945)
* The Cat Creeps (1946)
* Little Miss Big (1946)
* Bob and Sally (1948)
* One Too Many (1951)
* Secrets of Beauty (1951)

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