Love ’em and Leave ’em
AKA Le Galant étalagiste in France
(1926) American
B&W : Six reels
Directed by Frank Tuttle

Cast: Evelyn Brent [Mame Walsh], Lawrence Gray [William Billingsley], Louise Brooks [Janie Walsh], Osgood Perkins [Lem Woodruff], Arthur Donaldson [Mr. Schwartz], Marcia Harris [Amelia Streeter]; Jack Egan, Edward Garvey

Famous Players-Lasky Corporation production; distributed by Paramount Pictures Corporation. / Associate producer William LeBaron. Scenario by Townsend Martin, from the play Love ’em and Leave ’em by John Van Alstyne Weaver and George Abbott. Cinematography by George Webber. Production editor Ralph Block. Film and title editor Julian Johnson. Presented by Adolph Zukor and Jesse L. Lasky. / Released 6 December 1926. / Standard 35mm spherical 1.37:1 format. / The production was shot at Paramount’s Astoria studio on Long Island, New York. Brent’s first film for Paramount. The film was remade by Paramount as The Saturday Night Kid (1929).

Comedy-Drama.

Synopsis: Mame has been caring for her sister Janie since their mother died. While Mame is the responsible one at home, Janie stays out late having fun. Bill, from down the hall, is sweet on Mame. All three work at a department store, where Janie has been made treasurer of the employee league dues. Lem, a scoundrel in the apartment building, recommends a race bet that Janie cannot resist, and she uses some of the league dance money to place her wager. Mame’s creative ideas have mistakenly been credited to Bill and he is is given a chance to be a window dresser at the store. When Mame leaves on vacation, Bill and Janie try window dressing together, with disasterous results: Janie seduces Bill. Meanwhile, Mame returns early to find Bill kissing her sister. To top it off, Janie’s gambling has left her eighty dollars in the red. Lem convinces her to bet the last of the league money to cover her losses. Surprisingly, the horse comes in, but Lem lies about placing the bet for her. Janie allows the blame for the missing money to fall on Mame. Although she doesn’t deserve it, Mame comes to Janie’s rescue by stealing the money back from Lem. When Lem steals it back, the two begin an unusual male-female fight with Mame coming out on top. Even though the money is returned, both Bill and Mame are fired. But all is still alright with the world as the couple make up in a display window.

Survival Status: Print exists [16mm reduction positive].

Keywords: Alcohol (Illegal) - Animals: Cats (Kittens) - Apartments - Boats - Business cards - Children - Clocks: Alarm, Wristwatches (Women’s) - Clothing: Men’s (Costumes, Suits), Women’s (Coats, Costumes, Dresses) - Crying: False - Dance: Black Bottom - Dancers - Deceit - Department stores: Sales clerks, Window displays, Window dressing - Drunks - Envelopes - Families: Sister-sister relationships - Fans: Electric - Fights - Flattery - Furniture: Beds (Murphy) - Gambling: Bookies - Gramophones - Handwriting - Hats: Men’s, Women’s - Kissing - Letters - Lies - Locks: Door - Love triangles - Make-up: Cold cream, Lipstick, Powder puffs - Manipulation - Maniquins - Mirrors - Money: Currency - Musical instruments: Drums, Violins - Musicians - Newspapers - Parties - Photographs: Frames - Picnics - Posters - Powder - Prizes - Promises - Seduction - Surprises - Telephones - Theaters: Film - Tobacco: Cigarettes, Cigars - Toys: Dolls - Transporation: Automobiles - USA: New York: New York - Vacations - Wallets - Water: Lakes - Yarn

Listing updated: 23 September 2006.

References: Film credits, film viewing : Brownlow-Parade p. 359; Everson-American pp. 135, 202-203, 246j; Higashi-Virgins pp. 103, 104, 105; Paris-Brooks pp. 4, 166-167, 168, 169-171, 173, 179, 558 : ClasIm-220 p. 35.

Home Video: DVD.