| Loose Ankles | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Directed by | Ted Wilde |
| Written by | Gene Towne (continuity and dialogue) |
| Based on | Loose Ankles 1926 play by Sam Janney |
| Starring | Loretta Young Douglas Fairbanks, Jr. |
| Cinematography | Arthur L. Todd |
| Music by | Cecil Copping (uncredited) Alois Reiser (uncredited) Songs: Jack Meskill Pete Wendling |
Production company | |
| Distributed by | First National Pictures |
Release date |
|
Running time | 66-69 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
Loose Ankles is a 1930pre-Code romantic comedy with songs, produced and released byFirst National Pictures, which had become a subsidiary ofWarner Bros. The film was directed byTed Wilde and starsLoretta Young,Douglas Fairbanks, Jr.,Louise Fazenda andEdward Nugent. It was a remake of the 1926 silent film titledLadies at Play, which had been produced byFirst National Pictures. Both versions were adapted byGene Towne from the 1926 playLoose Ankles by Sam Janney.[1] Sam Janney was to direct the film but died in a car crash during production.[2]
The film's copyright was renewed, so it will not go into the public domain until January 1, 2026.[3]
Ann Harper Berry (Loretta Young), a young socialite, receives an inheritance of $70,000 per year (approximately $1 million today) from her deceased grandmother. The will stipulates, however, that she will only receive the money after she has been married to someone who meets with the approval of her two prudish aunts Sarah (Louise Fazenda) and Katherine (Ethel Wales) Harper. The will also stipulates that everyone will lose their inheritance if a scandal involving Ann occurs before she is married. In the case of a scandal, the entire estate will be donated to an organization for the welfare of cats and dogs.
Ann, who is furious at being denied the right to marry whom she pleases, decides to create a scandal. She advertises in the paper for an unscrupulous man to compromise her. Gilly Hayden (Douglas Fairbanks, Jr.) answers the ad and arrives at Ann's apartment. In order to make the affair as scandalous as possible, Ann's maid asks Fairbanks to remove his clothing. Before the newspaper men arrive, Ann's two aunts show up and attempt to force Gilly to marry their niece. Gilly, not wanting to force Ann into marriage, jumps out the window with nothing on but a woman's robe.
By this time, Ann and Gilly, though they had only spent a short time together, have fallen in love. Lint Harper (Raymond Keane), Gilly's roommate, becomes interested when Gilly tells him what happened with Ann. He decides to try to get Ann to marry him in order to get a part of her fortune. He takes her to a nightclub called the Circus Cafe. While there, Ann meets Gilly and her two aunts, who are being escorted by two gigolos (two other roommates of Gilly), who have come to spy on their niece. The aunts become drunk through the machinations of the gigolos, and when the club is raided, they manage to escape with their aid. Ann blackmails her aunts into consenting to her marriage with Gilly, threatening to expose their scandalous behavior at the nightclub if they don't. This leaves the couple free to pursue their romance.
The songs were written by Jack Meskill andPete Wendling, and the dances were staged by Roy Mack.[4][5]
Loose Ankles survives intact, and it has been shown on Turner Classic Movies and is preserved in theLibrary of Congress.[6]
In early 2012,Loose Ankles was released on DVD by Warner Archive in a double bill withThe Naughty Flirt, starringAlice White.