The Circle

Director: Frank Borzage Frank Borzage

Overview

In spite of a fine cast and director, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer somehow managed to turn the stage play by W. Somerset Maugham into merely a classy-looking program picture. The Cheneys are "veddy" proper upper-class Englishmen, so it's a shock in the 1890s when Lady Catherine, wife of Lord Clive Cheney, runs off with Hugh Porteous, who was best man at the wedding. Now, in the mid-'20s, Elizabeth (Eleanor Boardman) is married to Lord Clive's highly dignified and rather dull son Arnold (Creighton Hale), and she is considering running off with Edward Luton (Malcolm McGregor). To help her decide, she invites Porteous (George Fawcett) and Lady Catherine (Eugenie Besserer) to the ancestral castle on the assumption that Lord Clive (Alec Francis) will be in London. Of course, he shows up unexpectedly and is shocked to find his wife has grown fat and silly, while Porteous is an irascible old man. After spending time with the couple, Elizabeth decides she should probably stay home -- until she sees them embracing. That convinces her to take off with Luton. But only a few miles down the road, the car stops and the chauffeur gets out -- it's Arnold, who gives Luton a sound thrashing. That finished, he promptly takes Elizabeth back to the castle.

Product Details

Release Date:	11/06/2012
UPC:	0883316676851
Original Release:	1925
Source:	Warner Archives
Region Code:	A
Presentation:	[Wide Screen]
Sound:	[monaural]
Language:	English
Time:	1:00:00
Sales rank:	57,176

Cast & Crew

Performance Credits

Alec B. Francis	Lord Clive Cheney
Eleanor Boardman	Elizabeth
Creighton Hale	Arnold
Malcolm McGregor	Edward Luton
Eugenie Besserer	Lady Catherine
George Fawcett	Hugh Porteus
Otto Hoffman	Dorker
Joan Crawford	Young Lady Catherine

Technical Credits

Kenneth B. Clarke

Frank Borzage	Director
Kenneth B. Clarke	Screenwriter