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OPEN CLASSIC CINEMA · 718

Applause

192980 minUnited States
MusicalRomanceDrama
Video edition
Wikimedia Commons
Original language
English
This copy runs
78:32
Subtitles
No subtitle track in this language

Languages and subtitles

No subtitle track in this language

Wikimedia Commons · Rouben Mamoulian · Public domain

Synopsis

An aging burlesque performer has kept her daughter at a convent school to give her a different future. When money runs short, the young woman returns to a theatrical world her mother can no longer protect her from. A possible romance offers an escape, while loyalty to her mother and pressure from an exploitative man threaten to keep her backstage.

Cast

DirectorsRouben Mamoulian

Inspirations

The film adapts Beth Brown's novel about a mother's effort to prevent her daughter from repeating her life in burlesque.

Behind the scenes

For his first film, Rouben Mamoulian worked at Paramount's Astoria studios and on New York locations. His use of movement and overlapping sound challenged the static staging associated with many early talking pictures.

Sources and availability

General references identify the work and its copy. A reference beside an editorial section is linked to the claims checked in that section.

Wikipedia — film referenceWikidata — film identity and credits

Work catalogued as public domain in the United States.

The public-domain references concern the original films in the United States. Rights can differ for other countries, editions, restorations, music or translations. Sources are listed on each film page.

Availability checked on September 12, 2026.

Photograph credit

Photographs cropped, resized and optimized as WebP, displayed in monochrome.

  • Helen Morgan — Carl Van Vechten; This image is available from the United States Library of Congress 's Prints and Photographs division under the digital ID van.5a52453 . This tag does not indicate the copyright status of the attached work. A normal copyright tag is still required. See Commons:Licensing . · Public domain
  • Jack Cameron — Burdette Emery Wetherwax, Bert's Studio K.C.; Kammerer-Howland Family Collection · Public domain

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