The Lady of Scandal

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• 1930
• 1 hr 16 mins
• Drama, Comedy

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British nobleman John (Ralph Forbes) falls in love with famous actress Elsie (Ruth Chatterton) and forces the marriage issue by publishing their engagement. He plans to take her to his father's estate to meet his relatives. His father, Lord Crayle (Herbert Bunston), has summoned the immediate family to discuss how to prevent John from marrying beneath his station. When they meet Elsie, they are all shocked she is a commoner except cousin Edward (Basil Rathbone), whose opinion is discounted, since he is involved with a married woman in Paris. After being queried, Elsie senses the meeting is senseless and starts to leave, but Edward persuades her not to accept defeat. Meanwhile, Elsie's father (Robert Bolter) arrives and, although derided as a commoner by the family, agrees with them that the marriage is a mistake. He says that Elsie has only agreed to marry John because of the published engagement, and that she's not in love with him at all: she had turned him down twice a day for a year. He suggests that the family ask Elsie to wait six months, and to retire from the stage and stay with them. He is certain that Elsie will become so bored with John and country life, that she will run back to the stage. So Elsie stays, but she and Edward secretly fall in love during the next few months. He says he will give up the woman in Paris, who he had earlier said he would marry if he could. News comes over the radio, however, that the woman's husband died, leading Elsie to feel Edward has an obligation to go back to the woman and marry her. Although Edward is resolute in breaking with this woman, once he talks to her on the telephone, he has a hard time doing so. John also has ideas concerning his relationship with Elsie.