The Green Goddess

This article is about two American films. For other uses, see Green Goddess (disambiguation).

The Green Goddess (1930)
Directed by	Alfred E. Green
Produced by	Walter Morosco
Written by	Julien Josephson based on the play by William Archer
Starring	George Arliss Ralph Forbes H.B. Warner Alice Joyce
Music by	Louis Silvers
Cinematography	James Van Trees
Editing by	James Gibbon
Distributed by	Warner Bros.
Release date(s)	February 13, 1930
Running time	73 min.
Country	United States
Language	English

The Green Goddess is the name of two American motion pictures, the first made in 1923 and the second in 1930.

The 1923 silent film was adapted for the screen by Forrest Halsey from the William Archer stage play also called The Green Goddess and directed by Sidney Olcott. It starred George Arliss, Alice Joyce, David Powell, Jetta Goudal and Harry T. Morey. It tells the story of three English people who crash land in an Indian kingdom in which the Raja threatens to execute them if the British execute his half-brothers.

The 1930 remake was done by Warner Brothers using their new Vitaphone sound system. In the 1930 version George Arliss and Alice Joyce reprised their roles which also starred Ralph Forbes, H.B. Warner, Ivan F. Simpson and Reginald Sheffield. It was adapted by Julien Josephson and was directed by Alfred E. Green.

George Arliss received a nomination for an Academy Award for Best Actor for his performance in the 1930 film.

Production

George Arliss was nominated for an Oscar in 1930 for the category "Best Actor in a Leading Role" for his role in this film. The Green Goddess was filmed in 1929 and completed before Disraeli (1929), but was held out of release until later at the request of George Arliss because he felt the other film was a better vehicle for his talkie debut.

Plot

A small plane carrying three British citizens -- Major Crespin, his wife Lucille, and Dr. Trahernis -- is forced down somewhere near the Himalayas. The plane lands in the tiny Princedom of Rukh, ostensibly under the British Viceroy, but actually ruled by a curiously deranged old Raja. The three visitors find themselves at the mercy of the Raja and are caught up in his lustful plots & plans. The Rajah holds them prisoner because the British are about to execute his three half-brothers in neighboring India. His subjects believe that their Green Goddess has given them the lives of the three Brits as payment for the lives of the Rajah's brothers. They will execute them when the brothers are executed. Trahern and the Crespins must figure a way to use the Rajah's radio to call India for help...

Preservation

The film survives complete.

Adaptations to Other Media

The Green Goddess was adapted as a one-hour radio play on the January 6, 1935 broadcast of Lux Radio Theater, starring Claude Rains.

Trivia

Green goddess dressing, first made at the Palace Hotel in San Francisco, was named in honor of the stage play.

External links

• The Green Goddess (1923) at the Internet Movie Database
• The Green Goddess (1930) at the Internet Movie Database

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