Passion Flower (1930 film)

Dulce Morado is a wealthy socialite who is close with her cousin, Katherine ("Cassy") Pringle. One day, when Dulce is visiting, Cassy discloses to Dulce that she has fallen in love. It is soon learned that Cassy is in love with the family chauffeur, Dan. Cassy's father, Leroy, is furious about the relationship and kicks Cassy out of the house. Dulce steps in to offer her support, and she opens her home to the couple so they can marry the next day.

Dulce and her much older husband, Tony, purchase a small farm within view of their estate as a wedding present for Cassy and Dan. However, Dan's pride won't allow him to take what he considers to be a handout. Dan, now out of a job, heads with Cassy into the city where they rent a small attic apartment in a boarding house run by Mrs. Harney. It isn't much, but Cassy expresses to Dan that she is happy and wants to build a life with him, and that she'll endure any hardship to do so. Dan quickly finds a job working down at the docks, and they start to settle into life together.

The film flashes forward to Cassy and Dan's fifth wedding anniversary. They now have two children, a toddler named Tommy as well as an infant girl, Margaret. Dan has been promoted to an assistant foreman at the docks, but their financial situation is still precarious and times are tough. They continue to live in the attic apartment and it is clear that they just can't get ahead, although Cassy expresses that she is truly happy in spite of being poor. Dulce has come to visit when Mrs. Harney stops by to tell the women that a young boy who lived in the building has died after being hit by a truck. Cassy is devastated, as the boy was a playmate of Tommy's. Dulce questions why Cassy and Dan don't make the decision to leave their current circumstances and just come to the ranch, which she has still kept for them. Cassy wants to go, but she feels that Dan is too proud to take the help.

Meanwhile, Dan is in the middle of losing his job at the docks. Defeated, he returns home to find Dulce there. Dulce and Dan get into a brief argument, as Dulce continues to assert that Dan's pride is getting in the way of Cassy's happiness. Dan kicks Dulce out of the house. When Dan and Cassy finally discuss the events of the day, with the neighbor boy's death and Dan's being fired, Dan looks at Tommy sleeping in his high chair and has a change of heart, realizing that it may be in the best interest of his family to move them out of poverty and closer to the wealth and safety that Dulce can provide.

They accept Dulce's offer and move to the ranch. Mrs. Harney comes with them as their housekeeper. From the very first day that Tony and Dulce are there to welcome them, Tony pays attention to the mannerisms and exchanges between Dulce and Dan. He suspects there may be more to that relationship than the two are letting on, although there is no indication that anything has happened at this point.

The family settles in to ranch life, but soon Dulce begins asking Dan up to the main house to help with tasks that Tony can't handle due to his older age and implied poor health. One afternoon, Dulce and Dan go horseback riding to scout out a good location to build a road. They share an intimate moment, and it is clear that they are falling for each other. When they return to Dulce's house that night and she persuades Dan to stay for dinner, Tony eavesdrops on their conversation. He has heard all he needs to hear. Dan waits in the living room while Dulce changes clothes, and when Dulce comes down the stairs Tony pulls her aside to confront her. He implores her to think about the pain it would cause Cassy if Dulce broke up their marriage. Tony admits that if Dan were free, he might let her go, but he insists that Dulce will regret this decision. Dulce gets upset and asks Tony why she can't be permitted some happiness in life.

Dulce and Dan start to discuss what it might look like to run away together, possibly abroad, but Dan is torn. He is in love with Dulce, but he hasn't stopped loving Cassy, either. He doesn't want to hurt her and break up their family. One night, as a storm is rolling in, Dan distantly tells Cassy he has to "see a man about some cattle" and he instead goes up to Dulce's house to end the relationship. At the same time, Cassy receives a phone call that her father is very ill, and that she should come right away. Thinking that Dan is away, she decides to go up to Dulce's house to ask her for a ride to the ferry. She arrives at the house just in time to see Dan and Dulce kissing through the glass door.

Dan opens the door when he sees Cassy there, not knowing she has witnessed the kiss. He leaves to get the car, and Cassy confronts Dulce about what she saw. Dulce cries and begs Cassy to forgive her, but Cassy won't hear it. In the car, Dan also confesses to Cassy what happened. Cassy is devastated, and she tells Dan that she doesn't want him coming with her to see her father. She kicks Dan out of the house.

The film cuts to Dulce and Dan hosting a raucous party, possibly in London. It doesn't appear that they are trying to hide the fact that they're a couple. The drinks are flowing, the guests are rowdy and drunk, and although Dan and Dulce are presiding, Dan appears to be a little uncomfortable or out-of-place. As one of the drunk guests is heading out the door, he tells Dan that someone at the front desk passed along a letter for Dan that he forgot to give him earlier - a letter from Cassy, back at the ranch in California. Dan opens it and finds a picture of the kids. The letter from Cassy reads, in part, "the children miss you so, and as for me, I am your wife, and I shall always love you. I can't be proud any longer, dear. If you ever want to come back to us, there is nothing I can't forgive and forget."

Dulce enters the room and can tell that Dan's mind is elsewhere. She questions him, and he confesses that he wants them to go "back where [they] belong" - indicating that he wants to return to the States. Dulce asks Dan if he's been happy with her, and he says that he has, but he can't go on like this "indefinitely - playing around like we do". He wants to get a job and be useful. Dulce agrees, and they book tickets to return by ship. While on board, Dulce receives a telegram that Tony has died. She asks Dan, "don't you see what this means for us? I am free. We can be married now." Dulce believes that Cassy will give Dan a divorce.

But Dan is still torn. A few weeks after their return, he still hasn't made any move to formalize a divorce with Cassy. Dulce comes by Dan's office one day and tells him that she has been down to see Cassy herself, implying that she has asked Cassy for the divorce to save Dan the heartache. Dan asks what Cassy said, and Dulce says that Cassy has agreed to the divorce. She also throws in that she wonders if Cassy might want to be "free herself", perhaps to begin a new relationship. Dulce tells Dan that Cassy's final request is for Dan to come and ask her for the divorce himself.

Dan arrives at the ranch to find his children playing outside. Tommy is excited to see his dad and runs to him. Margaret looks much older than the infant we saw earlier, indicating that Dan has been away for quite awhile. It's clear that Margaret doesn't know who Dan is when he picks her up and holds her. The three go inside and are greeted by Mrs. Harney. She isn't pleased to see Dan, but she calls for Cassy anyway. Cassy is shocked to see Dan has come. Mrs. Harney takes the children to eat so Cassy and Dan can speak in private. Dan notices the little things he missed, including that Cassy has kept his old easy chair. Cassy tells him that a divorce can be arranged if he wants it. Dan asks her if she feels bitter towards him, and Cassy says no. She admits that she still loves Dan, even though she probably shouldn't. Dan feels foolish because he believes that Cassy hates him, and now he worries that it's too late to repair things. He admits to Cassy that he read her letter "a thousand times".

Suddenly, Dulce arrives. She is angry, and she confronts Cassy, demanding to know whether or not Cassy is still in love with Dan. Cassy admits it. Dulce accuses Cassy of trying to get Dan to the ranch alone so she could "play up on his sympathy". Dulce admits to reading Cassy's letter. The women argue, and Cassy levels Dulce with the truth - that Dan loves her, and that he'll always love her, but that he'll go and marry Dulce because he thinks he owes it to her. Cassy runs into the bedroom and Dulce and Dan have it out. Dulce realizes that she's the losing woman in this scenario. She breaks it off with Dan, admitting that she was too blind to see that he never stopped loving Cassy. She tells Dan that she can run away from the damage she's done, but Dan has the harder job, which is staying to repair his relationship with his family. They shake hands, and Dulce wishes him luck before leaving.

The film ends with Dan and Cassy embracing Tommy, while the little boy talks about all the things he wants to show his father that he has missed while he's been away.

• Kay Francis as Dulce Morado
• Kay Johnson as Katherine Pringle Wallace
• Charles Bickford as Dan Wallace
• Winter Hall as Leroy Pringle
• Lewis Stone as Antonio Morado
• ZaSu Pitts as Mrs. Harney
• Dickie Moore as Tommy
• Ray Milland as party guest (uncredited)

New York Times critic Mordaunt Hall praised the performances of most of the credited cast, particularly Kay Francis.[1] However, he wrote the film was dragged by "strained psychology, strangely vacillating characters and uneven dialogue."[1]

• Passion Flower at IMDb
• Passion Flower at the TCM Movie Database
• Passion Flower at AllMovie
• Passion Flower at the American Film Institute Catalog