A Kiss in the Dark is a 1925 American silent comedy film directed by Frank Tuttle and written by Townsend Martin based upon a novel by Frederick Lonsdale. The film stars Adolphe Menjou, Aileen Pringle, Lillian Rich, Kenneth MacKenna, Ann Pennington, Kitty Kelly, and Zeppo Marx. The film was released on April 6, 1925, by Paramount Pictures.[1][2][3]
| A Kiss in the Dark | |
|---|---|
 Film poster | |
| Directed by | Frank Tuttle |
| Screenplay by | Townsend Martin (scenario) |
| Based on | Aren't We All? 1923 play by Frederick Lonsdale |
| Produced by | Jesse L. Lasky Adolph Zukor |
| Starring | Adolphe Menjou Aileen Pringle Lillian Rich Kenneth MacKenna Ann Pennington Kitty Kelly Zeppo Marx |
| Cinematography | Alvin Wyckoff |
Production company | |
| Distributed by | Paramount Pictures |
Release date |
|
Running time | 60 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | Silent (English intertitles) |
Plot
editAs described in a film magazine review,[4] a gay philanderer has one flirtation after another. When he really falls in love with a beautiful young woman, she refuses to take him seriously until he proves his fidelity by patching up a quarrel between a married couple, who are friends of the lovers.
Cast
edit- Adolphe Menjou as Walter Grenham
- Aileen Pringle as Janet Livingstone
- Lillian Rich as Betty King
- Kenneth MacKenna as Johnny King
- Ann Pennington as Specialty Dancer
- Kitty Kelly as Chorus Girl
- Zeppo Marx in unknown role
Legacy
editThis film is historically notable for the appearance of Zeppo Marx of the Marx Brothers. He is credited by his birth name, Herbert Marx. This was the only film in which Zeppo stars without his brothers. (His older brother Harpo made his solo film debut a three months earlier in the similarly titled Too Many Kisses.) Neither of the two recovered reels feature Zeppo, but Marx researcher Robert Moulton uncovered a 1925 review in an Ohio newspaper listing a credit for "...Herbert Marx, one of the Marx brothers in the 'I'll Say She Is' company." A review for the film from the New York Sun dated April 7, 1925 praises Zeppo's performance: "Miss Pennington and Mr. Marx have only brief appearances, but they make them count."[5]
Preservation
editA Kiss in the Dark was considered to be a lost film for decades, until two of its six reels were discovered by a private collector.[6][7]
References
edit- ^ Hans J. Wollstein (2015). "A-Kiss-in-the-Dark - Trailer - Cast - Showtimes - NYTimes.com". Movies & TV Dept. The New York Times. Archived from the original on February 5, 2015. Retrieved February 5, 2015.
- ^ "A Kiss in the Dark". afi.com. Retrieved February 5, 2015.
- ^ Progressive Silent Film List: A Kiss in the Dark at silentera.com
- ^ "New Pictures: A Kiss in the Dark", Exhibitors Herald, 21 (6): 60, May 2, 1925, retrieved January 25, 2022
This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
- ^ Uhlin, Mikael. "A Kiss In The Dark". Marxology. www.marx-brothers.org. Retrieved November 18, 2020.
- ^ A Kiss in the Dark at Lost Film Files: Paramount Pictures - 1925 Archived August 22, 2015, at the Wayback Machine
- ^ The Library of Congress American Silent Feature Film Survival Catalog: A Kiss in the Dark
External links
edit
- A Kiss in the Dark at IMDb
- A Kiss in the Dark at the TCM Movie Database
- A Kiss in the Dark at the AFI Catalog of Feature Films
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