Adoration (1928)

Adoration
Billie Dove in Night Gowns and Revolution
(Reviewed by Freddie Schader)

TRUE to the edict that has been laid down by First National that Billie Dove must appear in negligee in all of her pictures, shw swishes through her latest as a Russian Princess in a nightgown. And what a nightgown! Then she becomes poor and possibly cannot afford nightgowns so she wears a little tailored suit, which proves that the Russian Revolution did something for the motion pictures after all, for after the revolution was over one didn't have to look at Billie in a nightie.

From the appearance of the business at the Strand on a couple of afternoons during the current week Billie's lingerie display is not drawing them in. There is no reason why "Adoration" should, for the Russian Revolution is a pretty well worn theme at this day and date on Broadway, and the chances are that will be true the country over.

Billie Dove has the role of the Princess Orloff in this story by Lajos Biro. Her husband, the Prince, has just returned from the Russian front to surprise his wife and he sees her descend from an automobile of Count Vladimir, who rates considerable as a ladies' man. In fact, he is the leading member of the home guard while husbands are at the front, and he is tending to his job of keeping the home fires burning by not even overlooking the pretty Parisian maids which some of the nobility have imported. Naturally, the Prince is jealous and raises a little row, then on the day that he is to return to the front the revolution breaks and although he is beset by the mob he manages to make his way back toward his home. On the way he notes a woman in a wrap that was his wife's making her way into the home of Vladimir. He suspects the worst, breaks into the Count's home but before he can enter the bed chamber the mob enters and both he and the Count are knocked unconscious.

The story then jumps it scene to Paris where the Russian nobility are doing the best they can. Here we have a Russian general acting as a bootblack, the Princess is a model and she quits her job because the proprietor wants her to entertain his customers. Others are acting as musicians and tumblers, as well as waiters and waitresses in the Cafe Russe. The Princess also takes a job there after she quits modeling and learns that her husband is also in Paris, a little crazed because he believes that his wife was unfaithful to him on the night of the outbreak in St. Petersburg. She goes to him, but he informs her that he is only living for the day that he may meet with her and Vladimir at the same time so that he may kill them and then commit suicide. In the end, he is finally convinced that it was his wife's maid who went to the Count's home, and while the Princess still continues to be a waitress the Prince starts driving a taxicab in Paris.

There are a couple of moments in the picture when Miss Dove shows flashes of acting ability, but in the main the honors of the picture must go to Nicholas Soussanin and Emil (sic) Chautard. These two walk away with the laurels, although Antonio Moreno as the Prince handled his role with a great deal of sincerity.

Drawing Power: In spots where they have not been deluged with Russian Revolution stuff you may be able to get a little with this. Billie Dove and antonio Moreno are the names that may pull.

Produced and distributed by First National. Length 6360 feet. Running time, 1 hour and 12 minutes. Released, Dec. 2, 1928. Story by Lajor Biro. Directed by Frank Lloyd.

-- Motion Picture News, January 19, 1929, p. 194

WHAT THE PICTURE DID FOR ME

ADORATION: Billie Dove -- Quite wonderful, from every angle. I believe it brings out Billie Dove in her best performance. I would rank this picture as one of the best productions so far this year. It is interesting in story, it is well cast, and a perfect production. Business for three days better than average. Seven reels -- W. H. Brenner, Cozy theatre, Winchester, Ind. -- General patronage.

ADORATION: Billie Dove -- February 24-25. Nothing big but Billie is a very good actress. This is not her best. The people here seem to like her. Seven reels.—Mrs. S. J. Brown & Son, Phoenix, Theatre, Neolo, Ia. -- General patronage

-- Exhibitors Herald-World, March 30, 1929, p. 65

WHAT THE PICTURE DID FOR ME

ADORATION: Billie Dove -- 87%. December 26. One of the finest pictures of Billie Dove's career. A little deep for some of our crowd, but most of them praised it highly. Although this is another Russian story, it is unusually good. Supporting cast exceptionally good. Seven reels. -- E. F. Ingram, Ingram's theatre, Ashland, Ala. -- Small town patronage.

-- Exhibitors Herald-World, January 26, 1929, p. 49-50

WHAT THE PICTURE DID FOR ME

ADORATION: Billie Dove -- 80%. January 1. Billie Dove does splendid work and draws well. This is not her best picture, but it pleased. She's the berries. Seven reels. -- J. G. Crouch, Princess theatre, Troy, Ala. -- General patronage.

-- Exhibitors Herald-World, February 9, 1929, p. 73

"Adoration" (s) -- with Billie Dove (First Nat., Dec. 2; Syn 6609 ft.; Sil. 6370 ft.)

Unless royalty stories, which have been supplied to Miss Dove for several pictures, have surfeited your custom, "Adoration" and Billie Dove should give them very good satisfaction, for there is real heart appeal in it. Such appeal comes from the fact that Miss Dove shows loyalty to the man she loved; reduced to poverty, and having fled from Russia to Paris after the revolution to save her life, she did not cease hoping to be reunited with her husband some day. The scenes that show the two meeting gace to face in Paris, almost in rages and being compelled to do menial work for a living, are powerful. They are deeply pathetic. But the Prince could have been made less jealous and more human, and the picture would have profited thereby, for he would have awakened twice as much sympathy. Miss Dove looks and acts as a Princess; she is charming. Antonio Moreno does well as the jealous husband. Emil Chautard, too, awakens much sympathetic (sic) interest ; in Russia he was a great General, friend of the Prince and of the Princess and close to the Czar; in Paris, he was shown as making a living by shining shoes. It is the first time that this after-the-Revolution phase of the life of the Russian aristocracy has been touched. Of course, the way the Russian aristocrats had treated the common people before the war does not do them credit; but their sufferings as a result of the Revolution appeal to the human emotions. The direction is by Frank Lloyd. It was supervised by Ned Marin.

The story has been written by Lajos Biro. It starts in St. Petersburg, now Lenigrad (sic), during the world war, and shifts to Paris immediately after the Revolution. On the day of the flight, the hero had seen a woman, who he thought was his wife, enter the home of the villain. He is beaten by the revolutionists but succeeds escaping with his life. In Paris he broods over the supposed infidelity of his wife, and takes to drink. He neglects himself. The Princess eventually learns where he is and goes to him. But thinking her guilty of indiscretion he repulses her. The heroine, however, eventually convinces him that she was innocent of any wrong-doing; it comes to light that the woman the hero had taken for the heroine was her maid, who had put on her coat.

-- Harrison's Reports, December 22, 1928, p. 202

THE PICTURE

ADORATION

JUST another Billie Dove, my masters. Billie, the gorgeous aristocrat of pre-war Russia, is separated from her husband., Antonio Moreno, by the revolution. They all go to the dogs in the half-world of Paris, but Antonio more so than Billie because he believes she has been untrue to him. Billie sobs her way through several thousand feet of film until finally she finds the man her husband suspected and makes him own up that as far as he knows Billie is all that a good wife should be. This picture of impoverished Russian aristocracy in post-war Paris is manifestly movie, and the attempt to horrify us with the degradations to which the formerly wealthy ones are placed simply doesn't come off. It's just a lot more gowns, negligees and close-ups containing the luscious Dove. If you like her that much, go to it, brother. But don't say I didn't tell you.

-- Motion Picture, February 1929, p. 60

ADORACION

(ADORATION)

"First National" -- 2,100 metros

Intérpretes: Billie Dove, Antonio Moreno, Emile Chautard, Lucie Doraine, Nicholas Soussanin y Nicholas Bela.
Argumento de Lajos Biro y dirección de Frank Lloyd.

Asi yo también soy bueno haciendo argumentos : un principe ruso tiene celos de su mujer ; los celos duran años, a través de la revolución soviet y del destierro de todos los aritócratas moscovitas ; hasta que se descrube que no era la princesa la que había estado con elpresunto seductor sino la criada de la princesa Y no hay más. Lo bonito de la cinta es Billie Dove ; lo aristocrático, el papel de Emile Chautard y lo sorprendente lo bien que trabaja Antonio Moreno en las principales escenas. Y digo sorprendente porque siempre lo tuve por un buen mozo y ahora me resulta además un bueno actor. -- Guaitsel

-- Cine Mundial, March 1929, p. 275

Cast: Billie Dove, Antonio Moreno, Emile Chautard, Lucie Doraine, Nicholas Soussanin, and Nicholas Bela. Plot by Lajos Biro and directed by Frank Lloyd.

So You, I'm Good at Making Plots, Too: A Russian prince becomes jealous of his wife; the jealousy lasts for years, through the Soviet Revolution and the exile of all Moscow aristocrats; until it is discovered that it wasn't the princess who had been with the alleged seducer, but the princess's maid. And that's it. The beauty of the film is Billie Dove; the aristocratic nature of it; Emile Chautard's role; and the surprising quality of Antonio Moreno's performance in the key scenes. And I say surprising because I always thought he was handsome, and now I think he's a good actor, too. -- Guaitsel

-- English translation

Adoration
Directed by ..... Frank Lloyd
Featuring ..... Billie Dove, Antonio Moreno
Story by Lajos Biro

A LOVE drama of the Russian revolution. Driven from her homeland a princess, who is separated from her husband, finds employment in Paris. Hearing that her husband is employed as a waiter in a low cafe she goes to see him but he believes her unfaithful to him and will not forgive her. Later they are united by the confession of a former maid of the princess who had worn her mistress' clothes and had been observed by the prince to enter the home of a man on the night of the outbreak of the revolution. The cast is good and there are some interesting backgrounds.

For the family audience including young people.
(First National—7 reels)

-- National Board of Review, December 1928, p. 11

More Information on this Film

This work (Adoration (1928), by First National), identified by Bruce Calvert, is free of known copyright restrictions.

Books

None.