Common Clay (1930 film)
Common Clay is a 1930 American pre-Code film directed by Victor Fleming and starring Constance Bennett and Lew Ayres, based on the 1915 play of the same name by Cleves Kinkead which starred Jane Cowl.[2] The film is about a young servant who is seduced by the master of the house who will having nothing else to do with her besides sex because she is of an inferior class. She becomes pregnant and seeks to have the child recognized but his family treats her as if she were a blackmailer.
| Common Clay | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Directed by | Victor Fleming |
| Written by | Cleves Kinkead (novel) Jules Furthman |
| Starring | Constance Bennett Lew Ayres |
| Distributed by | Fox Film Corporation |
Release date |
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Running time | 89 min |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Box office | $1,246,000 (rentals)[1] |
Cast
- Constance Bennett as Ellen Neal
- Lew Ayres as Hugh Fullerton
- Tully Marshall as W.H. Yates
- Matty Kemp as Arthur Coakley
- Purnell Pratt as Richard Fullerton
- Beryl Mercer as Mrs. Neal
- Charles McNaughton as Edwards
- Hale Hamilton as Judge Samuel Filson
- Genevieve Blinn as Mrs. Fullerton
Trivia
Common Clay was one of the highest-grossing films of 1930, and that financial success made Constance Bennett into a Hollywood star.
A previous version of the play had been filmed in 1919 as a silent movie by director George Fitzmaurice and starring Fannie Ward. It is now lost.
References
- "All-Time Film Rental Champs". Variety. October 15, 1990. p. M150.
- Common Clay as produced on Broadway at the Theatre Republic, August 26 1915 to May 1916, 316 performances; IBDb.com