The Divine Lady (1928) User Reviews

That Griffith Woman

[wes-connors · 6/10 · 9 August 2008]

Briefly, as explained in an introductory title card, "This is the historic tale of two people whose lives are an immortal romance; the story of the love and destiny of England's greatest beauty, and England's greatest sailor." The film focuses on the greatest beauty of Corinne Griffith (as Emma Hart). Her main lover is the greatest sailor, Victor Varconi (as Horatio Nelson). Ms. Griffith dominates the drama, which begins in late 18th century England. Introduced as a servant girl, Griffith becomes enamored with noble boss Ian Keith (as Charles Greville). After gaining a reputation as a "vulgar hussy", Griffith is sent to Italy; there, she becomes more ladylike, and marries Mr. Keith's uncle, H.B. Warner (as William Hamilton). Then, as "Lady Hamilton", she meets, and has an historically influential affair with Mr. Varconi, her "true love".

"The Divine Lady" is a showy, costly production. It was noticed during the second "Academy Awards" ceremony for the direction of Frank Lloyd. Mr. Lloyd's direction is, indeed, a strength; in one scene, he makes you feel you are on a Ferris Wheel. Lloyd was also noted for directing Richard Barthelmess in "Weary River" and "Drag", films which sandwiched "Divine Lady". John Seitz' photography is another strength; he is responsible for many beautiful scenes; and, of course, shows superstar Griffith in her best light. Comic relief Marie Dressler (as Mrs. Hart) appears too briefly.

In 1994, Corinne Griffith received a belated "Academy Award" nomination as "Best Actress" for "The Divine Lady"; the revelation appeared in Robert Osborne's "65 Years of the Oscar: The Official History of the Academy Awards".

There were no actual "nominations" announced that year (actually, the 1928-29 season); after the awards gained stature, there were attempts to bring the earlier ceremonies in line with what was becoming the industry standard. The inclusion of Griffith's name among the nominees may have been due to a suggestion Jeanne Eagels' performance in "The Letter" be dropped, since she died in October 1929.

A look at the other nominations would support Griffith's inclusion; however, the second ceremony was not one of the Academy's best efforts. Griffith's starry, self-conscious performance was better than "Best Actress" winner Mary Pickford's, in "Coquette"; but, so were most. Lillian Gish and Greta Garbo essayed far superior characterizations during the eligibility period, but were not nominated. However, dog star Rin Tin Tin was considered for a "Best Actor" nomination.

****** The Divine Lady (4/14/29) Frank Lloyd ~ Corinne Griffith, Victor Varconi, H.B. Warner, Ian Keith

Quite The Bawdy Character

[bkoganbing · 6/10 · 9 November 2009]

Both this film The Divine Lady and the better known That Hamilton Woman hardly give the correct portrayal of Emma Hart Hamilton. There was nothing saintly or divine about that woman. If you want to see a correct interpretation of her, I would recommend Bequest To A Nation, written by Terrence Rattigan and starring Glenda Jackson as Emma and Peter Finch as Lord Nelson.

However for those who love romantic stories be they true or fictional this restored transitional classic and the much better That Hamilton Woman will be your cup of tea. The Divine Lady was a mostly silent film with no dialog, but a dubbed singer for Corinne Griffith singing English airs of the period. I don't think anyone believed that soprano was Corinne's voice.

For those who don't know any of the films I've cited or English history, Emma Hart played by Corinne Griffith and her mother Marie Dressler are employed as cook and maid at the home of Ian Keith as Charles Greville. Griffith catches the eye of Sir William Hamilton who is in the diplomatic service of Great Britain and she marries him to skip quite a few rungs on the English social scale.

But while H.B. Warner as Hamilton has eyes for her, Griffith spots an up and coming naval officer Victor Varconi as Horatio Nelson. They begin one of the most notorious extra-marital affairs in history. That affair and the influence that Emma gains at the court of the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies where Hamilton has been made ambassador has a great deal to do with saving Great Britain. That much is true.

What's not true is how noble Emma Hamilton was. She was quite the bawdy character in her day, her common origins did more than slip. She could be vulgar and cruel, she was very cruel to Lady Nelson in real life played here by Helen Jerome Eddy. But her place in history is secure as is her place in legendary romances.

The Divine Lady won an Oscar for Director Frank Lloyd, his first of three the others also being subjects concerning the United Kingdom, Cavalcade and Mutiny On The Bounty. Corinne Griffith was nominated for Best Actress although that seems to be a subject of dispute and the film got an Oscar nomination for cinematography. Probably the award it should have gotten was for special effects, but that category had not been established yet.

The Divine Lady is a cinematic and historical anachronism, but worthy of a viewing for those reasons.

Corinne Griffith's Oscar nominated performance, she sings in this silent hybrid

[jacobs-greenwood · 7/10 · 18 December 2016]

This acclaimed silent features great naval battle sequences, especially for the time, and won Frank Lloyd his first of two Best Director Academy Awards. The film's Cinematography and Corinne Griffith's performance also received nominations (her only). There are four songs (sung by Griffith, presumably) in the film which we hear, making this a silent hybrid.

Charles Greville (Ian Keith) hopes to curry favor with his womanizing uncle, and benefactor, Sir William Hamilton (H. B. Warner). He gets an opportunity when a vulgar girl he dubs a "hussy", Emma (Griffith), arrives with her mother (Marie Dressler, in a brief and comic role) to be servant and cook, respectively, for his household. Initially physically attracted to her, he takes her with him to a public function only to be embarrassed by her actions (she leads a group of commoners in song). When he finds his uncle (after hearing her sing) is attracted to Emma, he tricks her into going to live with Hamilton in Naples (Italy) to receive an education, promising he'll come to be with her in October (it is springtime). Infatuated with her, Hamilton does educate her in the ways of being a lady, providing her everything she needs including a wardrobe. She also meets a British naval officer acquaintance of Hamilton's, Horatio Nelson (Victor Varconi), who had initially refused to meet her until he too hears her sing.

When October arrives, she receives a letter from Greville saying that she should stay with Hamilton and implying that he himself might wed another. Crushed, she accepts Hamilton's offer of marriage after she's told him she could never love him. England is at war with France and Naples, though it's aristocracy favors England, is fearful of France. The King (Michael Vavitch) is influenced by his confidant, and French sympathizer George Romney (though, in the film, he is said to be citizen R, William Conklin), to maintain neutrality. That is, until a British ship commanded by Nelson arrives off shore wanting to dock to gain treatment for his men who are suffering from starvation and scurvy. Emma, now Lady Hamilton, is sympathetic to their cause and influences the Queen (Dorothy Cummings), and sister to Marie Antoinette (and we all know what happened to her), to sign an order to provide the British ship(s) the needed supplies.

When Lady Hamilton delivers this proclamation to Nelson's ship, she falls for the Captain, and the feeling is mutual. After Nelson and his rejuvenated men are victorious, they begin a torrid affair which delays the Captain from a triumphant return to England. When he's summoned home by his wife (Helen Jerome Eddy), and after she sings him one more song, he departs. Hamilton and "Emma" are then invited to the celebration in London, but Lady Hamilton is shunned, her name crossed off the guest list. When Nelson hears of this, he is outraged that the woman who saved his men from perishing should be excluded.

They settle for the quiet life together, away from society and all others. However, when called by (Capt. Hardy - Montagu Love) country to defend it again against Napoleon, he returns to duty where he's fatally wounded.

Lovely Old Silent Film

[GManfred · 6 August 2008]

Thoroughly enjoyed 'The Divine Lady' on TCM this morning. Hadn't seen Corinne Griffith before and she was beautiful as well as talented. The reason I tuned in was that I thought it was supposed to be part of a Marie Dressler retrospective as advertised on TCM. It turns out that she was in only 2 brief scenes, but I found the picture absorbing and well done. I find that silent films are an acquired taste, like beer, and I try hard to appreciate them when the opportunity arises. Conversely, my children have the same problem with black and white films.

It was well acted, pacing was good, and the battle sequences were realistic. This picture also contains one of the most moving and lyrical sequences that I've found on film - with or without sound - in Nelson's death scene at the finale, although I can understand that some may feel it bordered on maudlin sentimentality.

A surprise encounter such as this makes one want to see more of the same.

THE DIVINE LADY (Frank Lloyd, 1929) ***

[Bunuel1976 · 7/10 · 4 February 2014]

Scottish film-maker Frank Lloyd (a would-have-been birthday celebrant on the day I watched the film under review) was one of the founding members of the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences – best-known for holding the annual Oscar ceremony. He was also the second Academy Award winner for Best Direction for this rarely seen historical epic which, as it turned out, was the only film in Oscar history to win that category without an accompanying nod for Best Picture (a feat which, given the current rules, is practically impossible to repeat itself). However, Lloyd was even nominated for directing two more movies that same year – WEARY RIVER (which I own a copy of but did not manage to locate in time for inclusion in this ongoing Oscar marathon!) and the unavailable DRAG. He would later emerge victorious again for CAVALCADE (1933) and received his last nomination for MUTINY ON THE BOUNTY (1935) which, like the latter, was also named Best Picture. For the record, his other films that have had notable brushes with Oscar were EAST LYNNE (1931), BERKELEY SQUARE (1933) and IF I WERE KING (1938) – and, although I have all three in my collection, they will have to wait a similarly-themed marathon for their first viewing. After such a distinguished career, Lloyd semi-retired in the mid-1940s and only made the occasional movie in the following decade before dying in 1960.

THE DIVINE LADY – not to be confused with the contemporaneous Greta Garbo vehicle THE DIVINE WOMAN (1928) only a fragment of which exists today – tells the oft-told tale of the controversial affair between Lady Emma Hamilton and Lord Horatio Nelson; I am already familiar with the Alexander Korda version of events entitled THAT HAMILTON WOMAN (1941; the only on screen pairing of then husband-and-wife team of Vivien Leigh and Laurence Olivier) and also have the Glenda Jackson/Peter Finch- starring A BEQUEST TO THE NATION aka THE NELSON AFFAIR (1973) in my unwatched pile; for the record, I would love to catch Richard Oswald's even earlier LADY HAMILTON (1921), in which the ubiquitous pair of Conrad Veidt and Werner Krauss played Nelson and Sir William Hamilton respectively, and Christian-Jaque's international version EMMA HAMILTON (1968) – with Michele Mercier, Richard Johnson and John Mills.

The narrative here starts out with an 'impoverished' aristocrat (Ian Keith) dismissing a newly-engaged cook (Marie Dressler) because of the "vulgar" antics of her daughter Emma Hart (an Oscar-nominated Corinne Griffith, though her name is bafflingly omitted in Roy Pickard's "The Oscar Movies From A-Z" and seems to be disputed elsewhere too!); her entreaties to rethink his harsh decision win him over and impress his artist friend who wants to paint a portrait of her. Before long, she is accompanying her employer on social occasions, until she embarrasses him by bursting into song at a fair thereby attracting the attentions of every male within hearing distance. He is convinced to dispose of her by thrusting her into the arms of his aging womanizing uncle Sir William Hamilton (H.B. Warner!) even though she had fallen for Keith himself in the meantime. He soon gets to regret his actions when the wealthy relative (whom he had hoped to inherit) marries the wench and turns her into Lady Emma Hamilton, Ambassadress to Sicily! Although that island is ostensibly neutral to the ongoing conflict between England and France, the king sides with France while the queen (sister to the deposed Marie Antoinette) secretly sides with Britain. When Lady Hamilton decides to intervene, the latter's allegiance is instrumental in overturning a Royal decree not to help the ailing British fleet headed by Admiral Horatio Nelson (Victor Varconi – who is not shown wearing a black patch over his blind eye but does get to lose a hand!). Apart from helping the British repel the enemy, this fateful event brings Emma and Horatio together for the first time and, as they say, the rest is history...

The understandably battered print – culled from the "Warner Archives" DVD-R – does not really do the film much justice but remains reasonably watchable throughout. Indeed THE DIVINE LADY is a handsomely mounted and well-crafted production (cinematographer John F. Seitz also received an Oscar nomination for his work here), with Lloyd's solid direction smoothing over the crude sound sequences interspersed throughout where we hear Emma Hamilton sing, and only calling attention to itself intermittently, as in the aforementioned fairground sequence.

Griffith is no lady!

[JohnHowardReid · 6/10 · 19 October 2017]

Copyright 28 March 1929 by First National Pictures, Inc. New York opening at the Warners' Theatre, 22 March 1929. U.S. release: 31 March 1929. 12 reels. 9,914 feet. 110 minutes.

SYNOPSIS: Despite her aristocratic husband, Lady Hamilton falls in love with Horatio Nelson.

NOTES: Academy Award for Best Directing to Frank Lloyd — defeating himself twice (for Weary River and Drag), as well as Lionel Barrymore (Madame X), Harry Beaumont (Broadway Melody), Irving Cummings (In Old Arizona), Ernst Lubitsch (The Patriot). Also nominated for Cinematography but lost to Clyde De Vinna's White Shadows in the South Seas.

COMMENT: Basically a silent film with a synchronized music score and sound effects and singing sequences in which Corinne Griffith appears to sing "The Banks of Loch Lomond" and "You Take the High Road And I'll Take the Low Road".

Other versions of the Nelson story were made in 1919, 1926, 1941, 1968 and 1973. Nelson was portrayed by Donald Calthrop, Sir Cedric Hardwicke, Sir Laurence Olivier, Richard Johnson and Peter Finch, respectively. There's also a German film Lady Hamilton directed by Richard Oswald in 1922, starring Werner Krauss, Conrad Veidt and Liane Haid.

Recently restored (though shorn of Corinne Griffith's singing sequences), The Divine Lady emerges as a rather plodding affair, thanks largely to the miscasting of lumbering Victor Varconi, who makes Nelson a boorish, inexpressive, deadly dull and totally unappealing figure.

When the director manages to get away from the uninspired Varconi, the film often comes to magical life. As we might expect, the Battle of Trafalgar is staged with considerable panache. It was no doubt for these action sequences and all the spectacle of sailing ships at sea that Lloyd carried off the Best Director "Oscar".

True, some of the more intimate scenes with Corinne Griffith also display a degree of directorial artistry that even the obtrusive presence of Mr. Varconi cannot wholly destroy, but the film engages more interest with a modern audience simply for its curiosity value than for its dramatic or visual lucidity.

Much as I admire Corinne Griffith, however, her performance actually rates a distant second to Vivien Leigh's portrait in Lady Hamilton (1941).

That Hamilton Woman

[evanston_dad · 6/10 · 30 November 2018]

I saw the 1941 Vivien Leigh vehicle "That Hamilton Woman" a while ago, and while I knew it was about the same subject matter as "The Divine Lady," I did not realize that it was a doggedly faithful remake of the earlier film.

It's hard to review movies from 1929, that dreadful year for film that saw many people in the industry trying and failing miserably to figure out what to do with the new technology known as sound. "The Divine Lady" avoids that problem mostly, since, aside from some music tracks and sound effects, this is a silent film. But it feels like a silent film saddled with the clunky technology that was required for sound, and from today's perspective it has more in common with the static early sounds films than it does the artful and ambitious late silents.

Frank Lloyd won the Oscar for Best Director in this, the second year of the Academy Award's existence. His nomination actually cited two other films, neither of which I've seen: "Drag" and "Weary River." But though rules in the second year allowed artists to be nominated for multiple pictures in the same category, records seem to indicate that they only won for one of them. This is also the second and last year to date that the award for Best Director went to a film not nominated for Best Picture (the other being Lewis Milestone the year before for "Two Arabian Knights," but since the Academy gave two directing awards that year, one for drama and one for comedy, it's not an apples to apples comparison). "The Divine Lady" also brought Corinne Griffiths a nomination for Best Actress (as far as I know, Griffiths did not make the transition to sound, or at least did not last long if she did) and John Seitz a nomination for Best Cinematography. Seitz would go on to become a frequent collaborator on Billy Wilder's films.

Grade: B-

restored early Oscar winner has some moments..not a great film

[mush-2 · 5/10 · 20 June 1999]

The Divine Lady,the Oscar winner for Best Director,Frank Lloyd, has recently been restored and has shown up on TCM. I saw it on the big screen at a Vitaphone film festival. Since it was a very late silent,it had a vitaphone soundtrack and even a theme song.The film tells the story of the romance of Lord Nelson and Lady Hamilton The movie has some lovely visual moments. The most memorable being,the two lovers on a swing and a battle at sea. But the film is a little slow going and the male lead is stiff and lacks charisma. Frank Lloyd is best remembered for the 1935 version of Mutiny on the Bounty, which shares with this film,historical characters and sea experiences.However, Mutiny on the Bounty is a much better film. For the best version of the story of Hamilton and Nelson, see the wonderful,Vivian Leigh- Laurence Olivier-movie-That Hamilton Woman.

The story of some tart and Lord Nelson...

[planktonrules · 5/10 · 18 November 2010]

I know my summary sounds a bit flippant, but Emma Hamilton was, in every sense of the word, a tart. Although details of her early life are today a bit sketchy, she was apparently the Courtney Love of her time--living a very wild life. When this film begins, all the wildness and affairs of her early years has been erased--making her seem like a pretty nice lady--and rather innocent. 'Innocent' is certainly not a word to describe Lady Hamilton and her later affair with Lord Nelson became legendary. So, if you are looking to have a history lesson, I suggest you try another film.

So, if you ignore the fact that the film is only GENERALLY true and it takes great liberties with the truth, is the film otherwise worth seeing? Well, if you are a film historian, perhaps. The film is a transitional film and is a curiosity because of this. By 'transition', I mean that they call it a talking picture but it really is a silent with a few songs included--much like the first such film, "The Jazz Singer"--not a true all-talking film. But apart from that, the film is only okay. The costumes and sets are lovely but the story itself seems very episodic and, at times, dull. Also, the songs they included are, by today's standards, pretty dreadful. If you are NOT a cinemaniac or historian, then this film will be very tough going.

If you MUST see an inaccurate film about Lady Hamilton, try watching Vivian Leigh and Laurence Olivier in "That Hamilton Woman". It's better looking and lacks the bad musical interludes.

A Divine Silent Film

[EightyProof45 · 10/10 · 9 March 2003]

The Divine Lady is a fantastic silent film, a gem of early American cinema that we are lucky to have discovered. Once thought to be lost, The Divine Lady was found along with its original vitaphone score. Since its rediscovery, the movie hasn't raised much commotion in the film community. It has aired on Turner Classic Movies only a handful of times, and it has not been offered for sale on home video. Despite all of this neglection, The Divine Lady is as important and significant as it is entertaining. Garnering an Oscar nomination for its lovely star Corinne Griffith (who, after seeing all the nominees from that year, I have decided should have won) and an Oscar win for Best Direction (for Frank Lloyd). The opening scene is upbeat and humorous. The deliciously hammy Marie Dressler is a delight as the English cook, Mrs. Hart. When her and her hussy of a daughter Emma (Griffith) arrive at the home of the Honorable Charles Greville (Ian Kieth) to work, Sir Charles is skeptical and doubts allowing a vulgar young gamine to enter his home. After her persuasions, however, the man changes his mind and begins to romance Emma. Anxious to inherit the fortune of a rich uncle Sir William Hamilton, Greville sends Emma to live with him in Naples. His motivation is that Sir William could never bring himself to marry such a woman, and that she will exist as his mistress; thus, he himself will inherit the fortune of his uncle when he dies unmarried. When Emma learns that her love will not be joining her, however, she foils the plans of her suitor and marries Sir William. One day, a young naval officer, Horatio Nelson (Victor Varconi), comes to ask a favor of Sir William. Instead, he meets his lovely wife and the two are attracted to one another. When, after a great deal of success, Nelson returns, the two carry out a much-gossipped-about affair. Struggling for the peace and tranquility they desire, the two settle down to live a quiet life. But when Napoleon becomes a threat to England again, the lovers must separate and Nelson must go fight another naval battle. Dripping with beautiful production values, the Divine Lady is a wonderful film, even today. The characters are portrayed vividly and realistically. The photography is some of the best ever, at times similar to the much-touted 'Sunrise.' Over all, the film is a massive experience. It is truly one of the best silents of American film!

The Director Won For This???

[xerses13 · 4/10 · 4 August 2008]

Director Frank Lloyd won the Academy Award for Directing this rather ponderous telling of the romance between Admiral Horatio Nelson and Lady Emma Hamilton. We do not know what the standard was used at the time for voting, but it must have been a curious one. I have always had the feeling for the first ten (10) years of the Award that deals were cut in smoke filled back-rooms. Academy Awards were given less on merit, but that each studio got a share of the prizes deserving or not.

THE DIVINE LADY (1929) features a strong supporting cast though its two (2) leads are rather lack luster. CORRINNE GRIFFITH had a rather limited appeal and VICTOR VARCONI was being groomed for a leading man a role which he was unsuited for. Later he would find success as a character actor. MS. GRIFFITHs' career would not outlast the silent era, but she did have her million$ as consolation. The film does feature THE BATTLE OF THE NILE and TRAFALGAR. Though short they were fairly well done. Using a combination of full scale mock-ups and large miniatures.

The film was remade as THAT HAMILTON WOMEN (1941) aka LADY HAMILTON. A Alexander Korda production it featured real life lovers VIVIAN LEIGH and LAURENCE OLIVIER. It is a handsomely mounted film with the actors giving a skilled performance and we rate it IMDb Eight********Stars.

Best Director Oscar Winner

[Michael_Elliott · 12 December 2009]

Divine Lady, The (1929)

*** (out of 4)

Director Lloyd picked up the Best Director Oscar for this film, which is the main reason why anyone remembers or talks about it today. While that might be the reason the film is remembered today, the film itself is still pretty good and holds up fairly well. The film tells the story of the doomed love affair of Lady Emma Hamilton (Corinne Griffith) who married Sir William (H.B. Warner) only to cheat on him with Captain Horatio Nelson (Victor Varconi). I'm not overly familiar with the true events but I've been told this movie isn't too close to the truth but that's to be expected. Whereas Hamilton is shown as a rather cheerful and charming person here, apparently in real life she could be twisted and cruel and those sides aren't on display here. With that said, I found the movie to old up fairly well in certain fields but the melodrama has dated quite badly. The entire love story really isn't all that interesting even though the performances carry it for the most part. I found the love triangle to be rather forced as I never really bought into why Hamilton would marry Sir William in the first place. The money might be obvious but I felt that the film really rushed their relationship and that William's entire motivation and feelings are overlooked. The ending is pretty tacky and unemotional, although I'm sure many fell for it back in 1929. The entire look of the film from the cinematography to the amazing sets are a reason to watch the film as are the performances. I found Griffith to be quite charming and she certainly carries the film on her own. The two men turn in fine performances as well. Marie Dressler is pretty much wasted in a thankless role. What really makes this film worth watching is a battle sequence out at sea that happens towards the middle of the picture. The action sequences are very exciting and the stuff dealing with the ships being torn apart look very realistic.

"Me and my true love"

[Steffi_P · 9/10 · 28 May 2011]

The affair between Admiral Nelson and Lady Hamilton was a phenomenal scandal in its day, and one that was inevitably blamed more upon the lady than the gentleman party. A 1941 picture starring Laurence Olivier and Vivian Leigh, flippantly titled That Hamilton Woman, would portray her as the brazen hussy who later descended into alcoholism. In 1929 however she is The Divine Lady, in a tale of pure love and burning passion. Here we see Lady Hamilton as the tragic heroine trapped by circumstance and loveless marriage, and Nelson remembered not as the philanderer or stately officer but as the bold sea captain with whom a woman could fall perilously in love.

The Divine Lady was directed by Frank Lloyd, a sadly forgotten name, but possibly the foremost filmmaker in Hollywood from the mid-20s to the mid-30s. He gives the movie a gorgeously relaxed pace and conjures up some achingly romantic images, such as Corinne Griffith's hand slipping out of Victor Varconi's as his ship pulls away, or Griffith flicking the flower across her lips in anticipation of Varconi's kiss. Lloyd would often use movement independent from the camera to heighten the emotional impact of a scene, for example Nelson's boat pulling away as the camera, from Hamilton's point of view, remains static. And much of the story is seen from her perspective, something few male directors are bold enough to do. There are a lot of glances cast directly at the camera, putting us in the position of people facing each other. The lovers' tearful farewell however, with Griffith at the harp, sees them both at opposite sides of the room, both facing outwards. We cut between their faces but know they are not looking into each others' eyes, and the sense of separation is palpable.

Corinne Griffith was considered a great beauty and a popular star in the late 1920s. She is not bad here but neither is she exceptional, being rather hammy and childish in her movements. Her whimpering in the first scene is just a little bit Stan Laurel, and in any case she is upstaged by an exuberant Marie Dressler. Griffith is at her best in the slower, more tender moments, showing off such delicate gestures as the little curl of her finger as she kisses Nelson's sword. Opposite her, we have a great opportunity to see Victor Varconi in a positive lead role. With his handsome yet somewhat pointy features he was often cast as a sinister villain, but he had a heroic bearing, and as The Divine Lady proves he can play sensitive as well. He is very much in the mould of a fairytale prince, much better than many of the moustachioed twerps that passed for lead men in the silent era. The Divine Lady is something of a late-silent era character actor bonanza, and as well as the aforementioned Ms Dressler you can also look out for fine appearances by H.B. Warner, Ian Keith and Montagu Love.

For his efforts on this movie, Frank Lloyd was the recipient of the second Academy Award for best director. This has lead to some grumbling among some film scholars both professional and amateur, not because Lloyd won over some supposedly more worthy candidate, but because Lloyd has never been blessed – or even really considered – by the auteur theorists and perhaps, I think, because some people will bash the Academy whatever it decides. But his work, on The Divine Lady in particular, deserves a closer look. This is a movie that has all the searing romantic beauty of Greta Garbo's greatest silent pictures. Corinne Griffith does not have anything like the acting talent or the alluring mystique of Garbo – the effect is all in Mr Lloyd's careful eye, in his captivating images that bring to mind the Emma Hamilton as charmingly painted by George Romney, and sweep us into this tragic love story of a bygone age.

Remarkable action ...

[pronker · 8/10 · 21 May 2014]

I give it 8 rather than 9 because of Griffith's acting when falling in love; her romantic feelings, as opposed to her ambassadress motives which were allied with her patriotism, seemed to spring from nothing. Varconi did all the wooing, and before you know it, whammo, a full blown affair. Griffith was more effective in portraying a girl's enthrallment with her first lover, Keith; I could believe that she trusted too deeply in his motives. Speaking of Keith, he gave an excellent performance of a man attracted to his servant's charms but hypocritical about so much more of her personality; he disgusted me, but in a good way.

But getting back to the action, the naval battles astounded and I was on the edge of my seat, dodging those cannonballs. The role of the Queen and her interaction with Griffith was unique, I thought, because of the power dynamics balancing the Queen's power with the King's and Griffith's part in the whole shebang. Someone whose real life is completely ready for filming is William Hamilton, here in this film an aged cuckold but actually a vulcanologist and man of science. I would enjoy a film depicting his life very much, showing his happy first marriage and dealings with the political structures of the era. Also good to see would be his menage-a-trois with his wife and Nelson in their small home, prior to Trafalgar. So all in all, this was a good Sunday's silent movie for TCM and I'm pleased to have seen it, with the lovely costumes and other production values, too. Then there's that rose over Griffith's lips when Nelson makes his move ...

Frank Lloyd was the 1928-29 Best Director Oscar winner

[kijii · 8/10 · 5 November 2016]

I finally was able to see this early Oscar silent winner: Frank Lloyd was the 1928-29 Best Director Oscar winner. The occasion for showing film was that TCM is honoring Marie Dressler in a series of her movies, and she had a small humorous role in this film.

This movie is based on the semi-true story by E. Barrington. It centers on the affair between Emma, Lady Hamilton and the British naval hero, Admiral Horatio Nelson, during the Napoleonic Wars. Both were married to other spouses at the time of their affair.

The same general story was later made into the 1941 Kora-directed movie, That Hamilton Woman (1941) with Vivien Leigh and Laurence Olivier as the two main characters.

Corinne Griffith's Disputed Oscar Nomination...

[drednm · 6 May 2005]

and the very strange Oscar win for director, Frank Lloyd, are the only reasons this film is remembered at all. Long, dull, and obvious, The Divine Lady tells the story of Emma Hamilton and Admiral Nelson and his victory at Trafalgar. Because nominations were not announced in the early years of Oscars, it has allowed revisionists to suddenly, in the last few years, proclaim that Corinne Griffith was a nominee for best actress. This makes no sense as Griffith would have been the SIXTH nominee on the list. The academy might have played around in the first several years, but they never had SIX acting nominees. Mary Pickford won for Coquette. The other nominees have always been Bessie Love for The Broadway Melody, Betty Compson for The Barker, Ruth Chatterton for Madame X, and Jeanne Eagels for The Letter. Now out of nowhere, Griffith as been added as the stealth nominee. No way. If there WERE no official nominees announced, how did Griffith suddenly appear as a nominee 70 years after the fact? Nothing against Miss Griffith, whom I liked very much in The Garden of Allah, but she was NOT nominated for an Oscar, despite the trumpetings of TCM and the revisionism of the official Oscar web pages. Check any Oscar book printed before 1995. NO GRIFFITH! Oh and I would have voted for Bessie Love.