East Lynne (1931 film)

East Lynne
Directed by	Frank Lloyd
Written by	Tom Barry Bradley King
Based on	East Lynne by Ellen Wood
Starring	Ann Harding Conrad Nagel Clive Brook Cecilia Loftus
Cinematography	John F. Seitz
Edited by	Margaret Clancey[1]
Music by	Richard Fall Carli Elinor
Distributed by	Fox Film Corporation
Release dates	February 20, 1931 (1931-02-20) (New York City)[2] March 31, 1931 (1931-03-31) (U.S.)
Running time	102 minutes, 9,188 ft., or 10 reels[2]
Country	United States
Language	English

East Lynne is a 1931 American pre-Code film version of Ellen Wood's eponymous 1861 novel, which was adapted by Tom Barry and Bradley King and directed by Frank Lloyd. (The adaptation was sufficiently different from Wood's original novel that the screenplay was in turn novelized for a Grosset and Dunlap Photoplay Edition by Arline de Haas.) The film received an Academy Award nomination for Best Picture but lost to RKO-Radio's Cimarron. East Lynne is a melodrama starring Ann Harding, Clive Brook, Conrad Nagel and Cecilia Loftus.

Only one print of the film is known to exist, though bootleg DVD copies exist minus the final scene.^[1] This print is in good shape, although several frames have an "X" on them, indicating they were to be removed in the film editing stage. One frame has a "crosshairs" on it, while several frames have ink marks. People may view the film at University of California Los Angeles's Instructional Media Lab, Powell Library, after arranging an appointment. The film's copyright was renewed, so will not fall into the public domain until 2027.^[3]

The film is the third adaptation of the book produced by Fox. Previous versions are the 1916 release with Theda Bara and the one in 1925 starring Alma Rubens.^[4]