THE KISS (1929)Greta Garbo, Conrad Nagel & Anders Randolf | Drama, Romance | B&W | Golden Age Film

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The Kiss is a 1929 American synchronized sound drama film directed by Jacques Feyder, starring Greta Garbo, Conrad Nagel, and Lew Ayres in his first feature film. The film has no audible dialogue but featured a synchronized musical score and sound effects. The soundtrack was recorded using the Western Electric Sound System sound-on-film process. The soundtrack was also transferred to discs for those theatres that were wired with sound-on-disc sound systems.

The film is based on a short story by George M. Saville, The Kiss bears the same title as the 1896 short that "shocked" the American public by being the first motion picture to depict a couple kissing. This 1929 production is notable for being the last major film released by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) without dialogue and the final non-speaking performances by both Garbo and Conrad Nagel.

Synopsis

The story, set in 1929, takes place at the Museum of Fine Arts in Lyon, France, where Irene Guarry (Greta Garbo) and André Dubail (Conrad Nagel) share a secret romance. Irene is unhappily married to her much older husband, Charles Guarry (Anders Randolf), a businessman on the brink of bankruptcy. Despite her love for André, Irene fears Charles's violent jealousy and is trapped in her loveless marriage. After a kiss at the museum, Irene resolves to never see André again.

Charles hires a private investigator to follow Irene, who reports harmless activities, but Irene's love for André remains strong. At a formal dinner party, Irene and André meet briefly, confirming their love but agreeing their affair must end. Meanwhile, young Pierre Lassalle (Lew Ayres), the son of Charles' business associate, falls for Irene and confesses his feelings.

The following day, after a tennis match, Pierre expresses his love for Irene, and she agrees to give him a photograph of herself. However, when Pierre visits to retrieve the photo, he presses for a kiss, which escalates into an assault. Charles catches them and brutally beats Pierre. In a desperate act to protect him, Irene kills Charles and stages the scene to make it look like a suicide due to financial despair.

Irene is indicted for murder but defends herself, claiming Charles killed himself. André returns to defend her in court, and his heartfelt defense, along with testimony about Charles's financial troubles, leads to her acquittal. After the trial, Pierre arrogantly implies Irene killed Charles for him, but Irene reveals the truth to André. Despite her guilt, André reassures her of his love, and they embrace, sharing a kiss as three cleaning women enter the courtroom.

Cast & Crew

Greta Garbo as Irene Guarry
Conrad Nagel as André Dubail
Holmes Herbert as Lassalle
Anders Randolf as Charles Guarry
Lew Ayres as Pierre Lassalle
George Davis as Durant, a private investigator

Directed by: Jacques Feyder
Screenplay by: Hanns Kräly
Story by: George M. Saville
Produced by: Irving Thalberg, Albert Lewin
Starring: Greta Garbo, Conrad Nagel, Lew Ayres
Cinematography: William Daniels
Edited by: Ben Lewis
Music by: William Axt (uncredited)
Production company: Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
Distributed by: Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
Release date: November 16, 1929
Running time: 62–65 minutes
Country: United States
Languages: Sound (Synchronized), English Intertitles
Budget: $257,000 (citation needed)