eMoviePoster.com

What are the objects in the corners of some images? Learn More

Nana, the 1934 Dorothy Arzner & George Fitzmaurice romantic melodrama ("Passion Flower of New Russia!"; "Idol of Europe...and actress of transcendent beauty and captivation allure! A breathless world -- after two years of waiting -- now beholds her first American appearance -- as Zola's voluptuous daughter of the pavements!"; "A bright New Star from Red Russia shooting Westward to kindle the American Screen with a new Fire!"; based on the novel by Emile Zola) starring Anna Sten (in the title role as Nana), Lionel Atwill, Richard Bennett, Mae Clarke, Phillips Holmes, Muriel Kirkland, and Lucille Ball (in a bit part). Note that Phillips Holmes had made an impression in some movies in the late 1920s. In 1931, he would get the lead in the first version of "An American Tragedy", which made it seem like he would become a major star, but that didn't materialize. He had a major affair with Libby Holman, but that was certainly complicated, and when they broke up, she immediately married his brother! Oddly, years later, Holman would have another very complicated affair with Montgomery Clift, who played the same part in the remake of "An American Tragedy", retitled "A Place in the Sun". Sadly, Holmes died in a plane crash in 1942. I am very surprised no one has made a movie about his life, or a joint movie about him and Libby Holman! Like most of director Arzner's movies, this one dealt with a very independent woman who "goes her own way" in life! Also note that Dorothy Arzner was a director from the 1920s to the 1940s, and she was the only woman director during the "Golden Age" of Hollywood ('20s to '40s) and she was the first woman to join the Directors Guild of America. Arzner was a lesbian at a time when almost no females openly were, and she was surprisingly open about it, often dressing in "men's clothes" and wearing her hair short. She made many "women's movies" and movies with a "feminist" theme. After making "First Comes Courage" in 1943, she made training films for the U.S. Army WACs, and she never returned to making Hollywood movies, becoming a film teacher of directing and screenwriting, teaching at UCLA until her passing in 1979.
NOTE: Click on linked names to see a biography.

Important Added Info: Note that this is one of ten special sets of stills we are currently auctioning that have both a wonderful "provenance", and also have an important signature on the back of every still! These sets come from the personal collection of actress Mae Clarke, who avidly collected stills from her own movies. In each case, she would take the still and write the names of the actors pictured on the front, and also the name of the movie in pen on the back of each still. Since she was writing her own name, that means that she "signed" every still! We have pictured the fronts and backs of every still in each of these ten lots, so that you can clearly see what she wrote on the back of each. This is a wonderful opportunity to obtain rare stills from Mae Clarke's movies, as well as her signature on the back of every still! Note that each still has two punch holes in the left border, so they could be a key book still, or someone could have just put those punch holes there.

Our address for UPS or FedEx only is:
Bruce Hershenson,
306 Washington Avenue, West Plains, MO 65775