| The Guardsman | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Directed by | Sidney Franklin Harold S. Bucquet (ass't director) |
| Written by | Maxwell Anderson Ernest Vajda (screenplay) Claudine West (continuity) |
| Based on | Testör 1911 play by Ferenc Molnár |
| Produced by | Albert Lewin (*uncredited) Irving Thalberg (*uncredited) |
| Starring | Alfred Lunt Lynn Fontanne |
| Cinematography | Norbert Brodine |
| Edited by | Conrad Nervig |
| Distributed by | Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer |
Release date |
|
Running time | 89 minutes (10 reels) |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Budget | $374,000[1] |
The Guardsman is a 1931 American pre-Code film based on the play Testőr by Ferenc Molnár. It stars Alfred Lunt, Lynn Fontanne, Roland Young and ZaSu Pitts. It opens with a stage re-enactment of the final scene of Maxwell Anderson's Elizabeth the Queen, with Fontanne as Elizabeth and Lunt as the Earl of Essex, but otherwise has nothing to do with that play.
The film was adapted by Ernest Vajda (screenplay) and Claudine West (continuity) and was directed by Sidney Franklin.[2] Lunt and Fontanne were husband and wife and a celebrated stage acting team. This film was based upon the roles they had played on Broadway in 1924 and it was their only starring film role together. They were nominated for Best Actor in a Leading Role and Best Actress in a Leading Role, respectively.[3] Nonetheless, the film was not a popular success at the box office, and the two stars returned to working on Broadway.[4]
- ^ Balio p.185
- ^ The American Film Institute Catalog Feature Films: 1931-40 by The American Film Institute, © 1993
- ^ The Guardsman as produced on Broadway, Garrick Theatre, October 13, 1924 to December 1925; IBDb.com
- ^ Balio p.185