Film Careers

It stars Billie Dove and features Antonio Moreno, Thelma Todd and Noah Beery. The film was based on a 1924 German play entitled Karriere, written by Alfred Schirokauer and Paul Rosenhayn.

Careers
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Directed by	John Francis Dillon
Written by	Forrest Halsey (adaptation & dialogue) Paul Perez (titles)
Based on	Karriere (1924 German play) by Alfred Schirokauer Paul Rosenhayn
Produced by	Ned Marin
Starring	Billie Dove
Cinematography	John F. Seitz
Edited by	John Rawlins
Music by	Song: "I Love You, I Hate You" Al Bryan (words) George W. Meyer (music) Score (uncredited): Cecil Copping Alois Reiser
Production company	First National Pictures
Distributed by	First National Pictures
Release date	June 2, 1929 (1929-06-02) (US)
Running time	92 minutes
Country	United States
Language	English

Careers was Billie's Dove first film with dialogue.

In the French colony of Cochin-China, young French magistrate Victor Gromaire (Antonio Moreno) and his wife Hélène (Billie Dove) are virtually prisoners because the colony's president (Noah Beery) is attracted to the wife. The president blocks Victor's career on the bench until his wife agrees to his demands. Victor, angered by this treatment after four years of hard work, secretly goes to the governor of the colony to complain.

Advised by Carouge (Holmes Herbert), a prominent attorney in the colony, as to why her husband's career has been stymied, Hélène tries to save her husband from disaster by pleading with the president, but inadvertently reveals her husband's plan. Afraid for his safety, she consents to do whatever the president wishes, as long as he does nothing to endanger her husband. Just as he is about to take advantage of her offer, he is murdered by a native musician (Kamiyama Sojin) who has been hiding in the room.

 

Hélène is immediately suspected of the murder, and the musician comes out of hiding and accuses her of the crime. Victor is placed in charge of the investigation and discovers that the musician is lying, and that he is the murderer.

Tired of the dangers of life in the French colony, the couple head back to Paris, where Victor hopes to start a new career.

• Billie Dove as Hélène Gromaire
• Antonio Moreno as Victor Gromaire
• Thelma Todd as Hortense
• Noah Beery as The President
• Holmes Herbert as Carouge
• Carmel Myers as the woman
• Robert Frazer as Lavergne Solin
• Kamiyama Sojin as Biwa Player

The film featured a theme song entitled "I Love You — I Hate You (For Making a Fool of Me)," with words by Al Bryan and music by George W. Meyer. Carmel Myers sings the song during the film and it is also heard in the background in several scenes as part of the instrumental scoring.

The film was considered a lost film, with only the Vitaphone soundtrack still in existence. However, a print was discovered an Italian film archive in 2017.

• List of early sound feature films (1926–1929)