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OPEN CLASSIC CINEMA · 700

The Letter

192960 minUnited States
RomanceDramaCrime
Video edition
Wikimedia Commons
Original language
English
This copy runs
60:22
Subtitles
No subtitle track in this language

Languages and subtitles

No subtitle track in this language

Wikimedia Commons · Jean de Limur · Public domain

Synopsis

Leslie Crosbie shoots a man at her husband's rubber plantation and claims that she was defending herself. As her lawyer prepares the case, a letter threatens to expose a very different relationship between the two. Recovering the document may protect her in court, but it cannot erase what the killing reveals about her marriage and desires.

Cast

DirectorsJean de Limur

Inspirations

The film adapts W. Somerset Maugham's play, whose starting point was a colonial-era shooting scandal in Malaya.

Behind the scenes

Jeanne Eagels leads this early sound production, filmed at Paramount's Astoria studios in New York. A separate silent version was also released during the industry's transition to recorded dialogue.

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.

  • Jeanne Eagels — Photo by Apeda; http://www.jeanneeagels.com/id17.html · Public domain
  • Reginald Owen — Trailer screenshot Licencing information : https://web.archive.org/web/20080321033709/http://www.sabucat.com/?pg=copyright and http://www.creativeclearance.com/guidelines.html#D2; The Miniver Story trailer · Public domain
  • Herbert Marshall — Photographer not credited; Photoplay, July 1934 · Public domain
  • O.P. Heggie — Photoplay; https://archive.org/details/photoplay3637movi · Public domain
  • Lady Tsen Mei — Unknown photographer; The Indianapolis Times. (Indianapolis [Ind.]), 31 July 1923. Chronicling America: Historic American Newspapers. Lib. of Congress. <https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn82015313/1923-07-31/ed-1/seq-7/> · Public domain

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