Her Night of Romance (1924) User Reviews

Bedside Manor

[wes-connors · 6/10 · 3 November 2011]

Disguised to avoid fortune-hunting bachelors, beautiful American "scrub-brush" heiress Constance Talmadge (as Dorothy Adams) arrives in Southampton, England for a relaxing holiday. She is traveling with concerned father Albert Gran (as Samuel G. Adams), who is worth ten million dollars. Upon arrival, Ms. Talmadge meets handsome but penniless nobleman Ronald Colman (as Paul Menford). They are mutually attracted, but go separate ways...

No matter, the writers give them more than one way to get together. Most amusing is when Mr. Coleman is mistaken for "Dr. Paul Scott" and invited to examine Talmadge, who is no more than a nervous hypochondriac. Without a stethoscope, Coleman listens to Talmadge's heart with his ear. Visits from Coleman make Talmadge feel like a new woman...

The main storyline involves Colman secretly selling his last asset "Menford Manor" to Talmadge as part of a plot arranged by agent Jean Hersholt (as Joseph "Joe" Diamond). A cute scene involves an inebriated Coleman trying to hang his hat on a shadow and director Sidney Franklin makes a sexual point with the stars' footwear (watch Colman's shoe land between Talmadge's heels). The love and money deception plot follows a familiar path...

****** Her Night of Romance (10/27/24) Sidney Franklin ~ Constance Talmadge, Ronald Colman, Albert Gran, Jean Hersholt

An agreeable silent comedy

[planktonrules · 8/10 · 19 January 2015]

This silent comedy stars Constance Talmadge (Dorothy Adams) and Ronald Colman (Paul Menford). It begins with a rich American and his daughter, Dorothy, arriving in Britain. The father is naturally wary of fortune hunters hitting on his daughter and one of them is Paul Menford. However, Menford is so smitten by Dorothy that he soon abandons any desire for her fortune--he wants her. Well, the guy's father (Jean Hersholt) has no such qualms and arranges to sell the family manor to the Americans. This way, he figures, they make money from the sale AND Paul will get it anyway once he marries Dorothy! What follows are some misunderstandings and a nice finale- -but what exactly happens is something you'll just have to see for yourself.

The reason I liked this film is that it's a nice combination of romance and humor. It's never a laugh out loud sort of picture-- more just enjoyable and sweet. Worth your time--and with a dandy finale.

The 25th Annual Chautauqua Silent Film Festival, David Jeffers for SIFFblog.com

[rdjeffers · 28 July 2010]

Bulldog Drummond meets The Mountain Girl

Wednesday July 28, 7:30pm, The Colorado Chautauqua Auditorium, Boulder

"What do you think of my pulse?"

An American businessman, Samuel Adams "The Scrub Brush King" and his frightened mouse of a daughter, Dorothy (Constance Talmadge) travel to England for her health and buy the estate of penniless lord, Paul Menford (Ronald Coleman). Boy meets girl, light-hearted deception and silliness ensues and mighty whoppers from tiny fibs do grow!

Produced by Joseph M. Schenck (husband of Norma Talmadge) and directed by Sidney Franklin for First National Pictures, Her Night of Romance is a farcical bon-bon that starts with a little-white-lie (Paul masquerades as a doctor to see Dorothy) and spirals upward with everyone caught in the absurd, far-fetched shenanigans until the entire village believes they are married. A first-rate supporting cast features Jean Hersholt as Paul's business cohort and Sydney Bracey as the butler. The dean of Hollywood art direction, William Cameron Menzies, throws in everything but the kitchen sink for the hilarious and beautifully conceived finale.

Weak and confusing script

[suttonstreet-imbd · 4/10 · 22 May 2013]

The story and the script are terribly weak, to the point where it is hard to understand the motivations of any of the characters. Lord Paul Menford (Ronald Colman) is an upper class twit who apparently does not know how to do anything except look handsome, and as a result he is now on the verge of losing his estate. Fortune falls into his arms in the form of heiress Dorothy Adams (Constance Talmadge) who is instantly smitten. Lord Menford manages to meet Dorothy again by a simple and miraculously unnoticed deception and the romance is off and running. At each difficulty in this twisted plot, Lord Menford's first instinct is to lie and hope for the best, but of course this only complicates matters. In the one critical scene where he actually is innocent, he is strangely silent, and so what follows is the favorite device of script writers everywhere: the misunderstanding that isn't explained and that drives the rest of the plot. Somehow through all of this, Dorothy still loves the cad, and even the Dad is smitten. Well, love prevails in the end, but you already knew that, as did everyone who watched this thing in 1924. But I had to check "spoiler alert" anyway to be legal. As for redeeming qualities, well it is old and as Noah Cross would say, anything gets respectable if it gets old enough. Ronald Coleman does a fine job in the role he is given, Constance Talmadge seems to overact terribly, but this is the style of the silent era. And everyone dresses really well.

Dull comedy of manners

[JohnHowardReid · 4/10 · 24 April 2016]

Short-staffed comedies of manners – there are only four main characters in this one – are generally rather boring unless the writers have come up with some delightfully incongruous situations and a fair amount of witty dialogue (or sub-titles). Alas, this entry is especially slow. True, at first the situations seem promising, but not a great deal is made of them. The direction by Sidney Franklin – who is usually quite stylish – is especially bland and the acting leaves much to be desired. Ronald Colman is stiff as a board and the heroine, Constance Talmadge, is obviously under the impression that the constant poking and holding of two or three "funny" faces is all the role needs to liven it up. In this movie, she shows little charisma for a major star and relies almost entirely on close-ups in which she regales us with one of two expressions: wide-eyed or sulky. Other players are equally dull, the direction lacks pace – some shots are held far too long – and production values seem minimal. Available on a good Kino DVD.

Colman's Worst

[davidjanuzbrown · 2/10 · 25 December 2014]

I never saw a bad Ronald Colman movie until now. It starts with Constance Talmadge ( Dorothy Adams), who is not funny ( supposed to be a comedienne. NOT), nor was she attractive ( that nose sure stuck out). There is not a single thing I liked about it ( in particular, because it is basically a 90 year old chick flick, which means that Dorothy will end up with Paul Menford ( Colman), and at the end of the movie;); did I mention a stupid musical accompaniment that makes things even worse ( I turned off the sound). Unless you are a Colman completist or are curious to see what what a Talmadge a sister looked like. Avoid. A generous 2 stars for Colman.