Release CalendarDVD & Blu-ray ReleasesTop 250 MoviesMost Popular MoviesBrowse Movies by GenreTop Box OfficeShowtimes & TicketsIn TheatersComing SoonMovie NewsIndia Movie Spotlight
    What's on TV & StreamingTop 250 TV ShowsMost Popular TV ShowsBrowse TV Shows by GenreTV NewsIndia TV Spotlight
    What to WatchLatest TrailersIMDb OriginalsIMDb PicksIMDb Podcasts
    OscarsBest Picture WinnersBest Picture WinnersEmmysAPA Heritage MonthSTARmeter AwardsSan Diego Comic-ConNew York Comic-ConSundance Film FestivalToronto Int'l Film FestivalAwards CentralFestival CentralAll Events
    Born TodayMost Popular CelebsMost Popular CelebsCelebrity News
    Help CenterContributor ZonePolls
For Industry Professionals
  • All
  • Titles
  • TV Episodes
  • Celebs
  • Companies
  • Keywords
  • Advanced Search
Watchlist
Sign In
  • Fully supported
  • English (United States)
    Partially supported
  • Français (Canada)
  • Français (France)
  • Deutsch (Deutschland)
  • हिंदी (भारत)
  • Italiano (Italia)
  • Português (Brasil)
  • Español (España)
  • Español (México)

The Runaway Bride

  • 19301930
  • PassedPassed
  • 1h 9m
IMDb RATING
5.0/10
277
YOUR RATING
  • Cast & crew
  • User reviews
  • Trivia
  • IMDbPro
Mary Astor and Lloyd Hughes in The Runaway Bride (1930)
  • Crime
  • Drama
  • Romance
A young socialite and a rich playboy elope to Atlantic City. However, she soon realizes he's not the man she wants him to be and tries to call off the wedding. A jewelry store robbery, murde... Read allA young socialite and a rich playboy elope to Atlantic City. However, she soon realizes he's not the man she wants him to be and tries to call off the wedding. A jewelry store robbery, murder and other mayhem are soon involved.A young socialite and a rich playboy elope to Atlantic City. However, she soon realizes he's not the man she wants him to be and tries to call off the wedding. A jewelry store robbery, murder and other mayhem are soon involved.
IMDb RATING
5.0/10
277
YOUR RATING
  • Director
    • Donald Crisp
  • Writers
    • H.H. Van Loan(play "Cooking Her Goose")
    • Lolita Ann Westman(play "Cooking Her Goose")
    • Jane Murfin(adaptation and dialogue)
  • Stars
    • Mary Astor
    • Lloyd Hughes
    • Paul Hurst
Top credits
  • Director
    • Donald Crisp
  • Writers
    • H.H. Van Loan(play "Cooking Her Goose")
    • Lolita Ann Westman(play "Cooking Her Goose")
    • Jane Murfin(adaptation and dialogue)
  • Stars
    • Mary Astor
    • Lloyd Hughes
    • Paul Hurst
  • See production, box office & company info
    • 10User reviews
    • 2Critic reviews
  • See production, box office & company info
  • See more at IMDbPro
  • Photos

    Add photo

    Top cast

    Edit
    Mary Astor
    Mary Astor
    • Mary Gray - aka Sally Fairchildas Mary Gray - aka Sally Fairchild
    Lloyd Hughes
    Lloyd Hughes
    • George Edward Blaineas George Edward Blaine
    Paul Hurst
    Paul Hurst
    • Sergeant Dalyas Sergeant Daly
    David Newell
    David Newell
    • Richard 'Dick' Merceras Richard 'Dick' Mercer
    Natalie Moorhead
    Natalie Moorhead
    • Clara Muldoonas Clara Muldoon
    Edgar Norton
    Edgar Norton
    • Williams - Blaine's Butleras Williams - Blaine's Butler
    Francis McDonald
    Francis McDonald
    • Barney Blackas Barney Black
    Maurice Black
    Maurice Black
    • 'Red' Duganas 'Red' Dugan
    • (uncredited)
    Phil Brady
    • Shortyas Shorty
    • (uncredited)
    Eddy Chandler
    • Mechanicas Mechanic
    • (uncredited)
    Edward Keane
    Edward Keane
    • Policemanas Policeman
    • (uncredited)
    Theodore Lorch
    Theodore Lorch
    • Dr. C. Kentas Dr. C. Kent
    • (uncredited)
    Harry Tenbrook
    Harry Tenbrook
    • Whiteyas Whitey
    • (uncredited)
    • Director
      • Donald Crisp
    • Writers
      • H.H. Van Loan(play "Cooking Her Goose")
      • Lolita Ann Westman(play "Cooking Her Goose")
      • Jane Murfin(adaptation and dialogue)
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro
    • All cast & crew

    More like this

    Give Me Your Heart
    6.7
    Give Me Your Heart
    Men of Chance
    5.9
    Men of Chance
    Mothers Cry
    5.6
    Mothers Cry
    His Greatest Gamble
    6.0
    His Greatest Gamble
    Cynara
    6.4
    Cynara
    The Mob
    7.1
    The Mob
    The Keyhole
    6.5
    The Keyhole
    711 Ocean Drive
    6.8
    711 Ocean Drive
    Imitation of Life
    7.5
    Imitation of Life
    The Bachelor Father
    6.4
    The Bachelor Father
    Mandalay
    6.7
    Mandalay
    The Emperor's Candlesticks
    6.5
    The Emperor's Candlesticks

    Storyline

    Edit
    A young socialite and a rich playboy elope to Atlantic City. However, she soon realizes he's not the man she wants him to be and tries to call off the wedding. A jewelry store robbery, murder and other mayhem are soon involved.
    • male police officer
    • timeframe 1920s
    • male female relationship
    • husband wife relationship
    • wealthy
    • 32 more
    • Plot summary
    • Add synopsis
    • Taglines
      • Plunging headlong into Danger! (original ad)
    • Genres
      • Crime
      • Drama
      • Romance
    • Certificate
      • Passed
    • Parents guide
      • Add content advisory

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      This was the final film directed by Donald Crisp. Although he was a prolific director of silent films, this was the only sound film that he ever directed. From this point onwards, he worked exclusively as an actor until his retirement after the filming of Spencer's Mountain (1963).
    • Goofs
      When Mary (posing as Sally, the new cook) arrives at Blaine's house in the rain, her coat and hat are almost completely dry. Then, when the butler shows her in to meet Blaine, Mary's hat and coat show considerable areas of wetness.
    • Quotes

      Williams - Blaine's Butler: I think you ought to look her over, first, sir.

      George Edward Blaine: Why? Anything queer about her?

      Williams - Blaine's Butler: Well, not as you might say queer, sir.

      George Edward Blaine: What is it then? Speak up.

      Williams - Blaine's Butler: Well, sir, in all my 30 years of service, I've never seen a cook like her.

      George Edward Blaine: Well, just what do you mean?

      Williams - Blaine's Butler: Well, she has the manners of a lady. And between you and me, sir, no girl as pretty as she should be working for a young bachelor like you.

      George Edward Blaine: What's the matter with me? Don't you think I can be trusted with a good looking cook?

      Williams - Blaine's Butler: Oh, I didn't mean that sir, exactly. I meant, to tell the truth sir, she looks more ornamental than useful.

    • Soundtracks
      Lovable and Sweet
      (1929) (uncredited)

      Music by Oscar Levant

      (originally for Street Girl (1929))

      Played during opening credits by Gus Arnheim and His Orchestra

    User reviews10

    Review
    Top review
    6/10
    "Mr. Blaine, I've gotten myself into a mess"
    Yes, the movie is awful, but there are some redeeming features, and it almost makes it into the "so bad, its good" category. I suspect that this was supposed to be a breezy screwball-comedy, crime-mystery picture. The comedy falls flat and there are too many jumps in the script and jumps in character logic to make the crime-mystery satisfying.

    For example, why doesn't Mary Astor's character, Sally Fairchild,just use the fire escape to escape from the room that her runaway bridegroom has locked her in? Obviously the fire escape led down to the street as a criminal uses it to enter her room a few minutes later. The only reason seems to be that Sally couldn't escape from the room because then the criminal could not plant the diamonds on her to start the merry chase that the moves the rest of the plot forward. Then one wonders why Sally doesn't call the police when the criminal and another detective are shot in the room. Again, the answer seems to be, the movie would end right there after fifteen minutes, so she has to do the stupid thing and runaway. The screenwriter might reply that she's a runaway bride and that would be scandalous and disgraceful if the police found out. True, but she should be intelligent enough to figure out that being accused of murder trumps being accused of being a runaway bride. When she confesses to handsome Lloyd Hughes (the Lost World, 1925), "Mr Blaine, I've gotten myself into a mess," it is almost as if she's confessing to the audience how she feels about the movie she's appearing in.

    The most redeeming feature and the reason to watch the movie is Mary Astor's wonderful performance. It is so sincere and she looks so beautiful and distressed throughout that you want to rush in and comfort her. It is an "A" performance in a throwaway "B" picture. We feel angry that the script and other characters are not being as sincere as Miss Astor. You feel as if her talents are being ignored and wasted. Thank goodness for John Huston and "the Maltese Falcon," otherwise modern audiences would not have appreciated Mary.

    As mentioned by another reviewer, the cinematography is also quite good. It is another element that makes us sad that the script is so lightweight. Leo Tover was only 28 at the time. He would become one of the great cinematographers in Hollywood. He was nominated twice for an Oscar, but sadly, never won. "the Heiress," "the Day the Earth Stood Still," and "Love Me Tender" are some of his most well known works.

    I would also note that Paul Hurst seems very comfortable playing a police sergeant. He played a detective or cop in about 20 other movies, although he was most famous for playing in Westerns.

    In summary, this is a cheap, frustrating, throwaway movie, but not an uninteresting one.
    helpful•2
    1
    • jayraskin1
    • Jan 5, 2017

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • May 4, 1930 (United States)
    • Country of origin
      • United States
    • Language
      • English
    • Also known as
      • Cooking Her Goose
    • Filming locations
      • RKO Studios - 780 N. Gower Street, Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, USA
    • Production company
      • RKO Radio Pictures
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Box office

    Edit
    • Budget
      • $103,000 (estimated)
    See detailed box office info on IMDbPro

    Technical specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      1 hour 9 minutes
    • Color
      • Black and White
    • Aspect ratio
      • 1.20 : 1

    Contribute to this page

    Suggest an edit or add missing content
    Mary Astor and Lloyd Hughes in The Runaway Bride (1930)
    Top Gap
    By what name was The Runaway Bride (1930) officially released in Canada in English?
    Answer
    • See more gaps
    • Learn more about contributing
    Edit page

    More to explore

    View list
    List
    The Best Movies and Shows to Watch in May
    See the full list
    Image caption not available
    2:14
    The Most Anticipated Movies and Shows to Watch in May
    Watch the video

    Recently viewed

    Please enable browser cookies to use this feature. Learn more.
    Get the IMDb App
    • Get the IMDb App
    • Help
    • Site Index
    • IMDbPro
    • Box Office Mojo
    • IMDb Developer
    • Press Room
    • Advertising
    • Jobs
    • Conditions of Use
    • Privacy Policy
    • Interest-Based Ads

    © 1990-2022 by IMDb.com, Inc.