PEACOCK ALLEY (1930) Mae Murray, George Barraud & Jason Robards Sr. | Drama, Romance | B&W + TECHNICOLOR

Peacock Alley is a 1930 American pre-Code musical romantic drama film directed by Marcel de Sano, and starring Mae Murray and George Barraud. The film is a remake of the 1922 silent film of the same name in which Murray also stars. Aside from Murray being cast in the lead, the remake was largely different from the 1922 silent film. While Murray's character in the 1922 film was named Cleo, she was renamed Claire Tree in this film. George Barraud replaced Monte Blue as the male lead, who is now named Clayton Stoddard.

The film was shot in black-and-white except for a two-color Technicolor sequence in which Murray tangos and impersonates both a toreador and a bull. The film's sets were designed by the art director Hervey Libbert.

SYNOPSIS
The film takes place entirely in New York City, removing the Paris portion of the earlier film's plot. Rather than falling in love with a man who happens along her way, Claire is actively looking for a husband. Two possibilities present themselves: a Texan, who ultimately rejects Claire because he believes her to be immoral, and Stoddard, who agrees to marry her in the end.

Claire Tree is a singer/dancer who goes after what she wants in a straight-forward, no-nonsense manner, so when she finds herself in the New York City hotel-suite, in fashionable Peacock Alley, of Stoddard Clayton, she wastes no time. Claire wants to get married. But, Stoddard, whom she cares for very much, has several proposals directed at her, none of which sound remotely like a marriage proposal; Claire tells him, in her straight-forward, no-nonsense manner that she wants to get married because, in her words: "I'm running away from the doubts and uncertainty and problems of a woman who isn't married." Stoddard thinks that nuptial bonds is a stupid old-fashioned tradition and fatal to romance. She says any man who says that is lying, and when she departs his suite at the crack of dawn, she seems convinced Stoddard indeed believes what he said he believed. But Claire has another option awaiting her...a Texan from home, and she promptly accepts his marriage proposal. But the house detective comes along after the ceremony and tells Tex his version of what he thinks goes on when a woman stays in a man's suite until the crack of dawn, and that doesn't jibe with his definition of a moral woman, and he ups and leaves her. Stoddard comes along and he thinks Tex has made a mockery of the marriage vows he took a short while ago, and he tells Claire that he will marry her, as soon as she can get an annulment from that day's ceremony, and they will make a go of it because they are 'different.' Somewhere in the 24-hour setting of this film, Claire plays a piano and sings a song called "In My Dreams, You Still Belong To Me," and then does a tango with a partner; and then does a solo-dance performance, interpreting a bullfighter...in costume...in 2-strip Technicolor.

CAST & CREW
Mae Murray as Claire Tree
George Barraud as Stoddard Clayton
Jason Robards, Sr. as Jim Bradbury (credited as Jason Robards)
Richard Tucker as Martin Saunders
W.L. Thorne as Dugan
Phillips Smalley as Bonner
Billy Bevan as Walter - Bell Captain
E. H. Calvert as Paul
Arthur Hoyt as Crosby

Directed by Marcel de Sano
Written by Frances Hyland, Wells Root, Carey Wilson
Story by Carey Wilson
Produced by Robert Z. Leonard
Cinematography Benjamin H. Kline, Harry Zech
Edited by Clarence Kolster
Distributed by Tiffany Pictures
Release date: January 10, 1930
Running time: 63 minutes
Country: United States
Language: English

NOTES
Produced by Tiffany Pictures, the film was lavishly produced with elaborate sets despite its low budget. Murray's silent films had been very successful and she and Bob Leonard had been founding members of Tiffany. However, by the time this remake was produced Murray's marriage to Leonard had come to an end as had the fortunes of Tiffany Pictures.

The film was intended to be a comeback vehicle for Murray as her career had declined after she was unofficially blacklisted by Louis B. Mayer after she walked out on her MGM contract in 1927. Unlike the silent version, the sound remake of Peacock Alley did not boost Murray's career and earned mostly unfavorable reviews. Photoplay called the film "a sorry affair" and Murray's performance "more affected and more bee-stung of mouth than ever. You'll laugh at the drama and weep over the comedy."

Murray alleged that Tiffany Pictures' crew had damaged her career by way of their technical incompetence displayed throughout the film. Because of this, she attempted to sue the company for $1,750,000, but was unsuccessful.