John G. Blystone | Coming Out Party / 1934

the bruised orchid

by Douglas Messerli

 

Jesse L. Lasky, Jr., and Gladys Unger (based on a story by Becky Gardiner), John G. Blystone (director) Coming Out Party / 1934

 

Blystone’s 1934 film is basically a melodramatic romance, in the 1930s style, between a wealthy young woman, Joyce “Joy” Stanhope (with an excellent performance by Frances Dee) and a poor Swedish violinist, Chris Hansen (Gene Raymond), who plays mostly with jazz bands, but wants to pursue his real career as a concert violinist. Both are desperately in love, but with little hope of marriage since the Stanhope family, her mother, socially aware Ada Stanhope (Marjorie Gateson) and her inattentive father, Herbert Emerson Stanhope (Gilbert Emery) want her to uphold their class and caste distinctions.

   Furthermore, this is Joy’s year to celebrate her “coming out,” a debutante ball costing in 1934 $50,000 dollars complete with a rented ballroom, the best of foods, flowers, and, perhaps most importantly, the services of a social advisor, Miss Gertrude Vanderdoe (Alison Skipworth) who knows how to rouse out all the most eligible bachelors, and arrange for the other necessary services for a large fee and commissions from those who she recommends, most still unpaid from the last such occasion.  

    Given that in December nearly every young wealthy woman of age is celebrating the same event, Miss Vanderdoe will certainly grow even wealthy herself.

    Fortunately, although her parents offer her little love and understanding, her highly devoted Nanny Nora (Jessie Ralph) and the butler Troon (Nigel Bruce) are totally protective and loving of her, providing her with secret letters from Hansen and escapes from the clutches of society when they can.

     Her parents most certainly would prefer she marry someone like Jimmy Wolverton (Phillip Trent), a mostly drunken playboy who is also the scion of wealth. Throughout her life, as she later tells Chris, she has been forced to into her parent’s wills all of her life. Although she had planned to meet up with the violinist, her mother assists that she reach her designation with Wolverton in two. He, however, arrives already drunken, and after a long wild ride in his new auto, she demands he visit a road house just to sober him up. He sleeps, while she ponders her situation. Even worse, Chris’ band is playing at the same place, and when the couple finally plan to leave, Wolverton without paying since he has lost his wallet, she encounters Chris, who is shocked to see her there with the sleazy Wolverton. He storms off into the night, while she is finally returned home by Wolverton, sneaking out again to visit Chris in his apartment in an attempt to explain what really happened.

     Finally, after much necessary convincing, he realizes that he is still in love with her, and although the script doesn’t necessarily indicate it, we can only deduce, later, when she becomes pregnant, that they had sex, something that could never have happened on screen only a year later.

     It is finally time for the big affair, but all poor Joy can think about is that Chris is missing, not yet having returned by from a gig in Chicago. He does return at the last moment, only to tell her that he has been asked by a major singer to accompany him on a tour of Europe, playing his violin to the greatest opera houses on the continent. Hopefully, he argues, it might provide the recommendations needed to convince her father of his worth. But he must leave immediately, returning only perhaps a year later.

   Heartbroken, she is forced to meet her “coming out” crowd with a brave smile before she is literally turned over, one by one, by most of the male stags in the room in dance like she were a wind-up toy to be enjoyed by all.

     Exhausted, she finally joins Wolverton in a bottle of champagne where he, surprisingly, is finally ready to try out marriage, particularly since it will be the scandal of the event, him eloping like a robber bridegroom.

   Meanwhile her butler friend steals a bowler hat from the party and escapes to the boat upon which Chris is soon voyaging. Charging his way through restrictions he reaches Chris’ room and explains the situation. Chris returns, himself literally storming the Stanhope mansion and demanding that his father annul her marriage so that he might marry her. With the backing of nearly everyone, included Wolverton, the father has no choice but to agree, and the now sickly Joy is brought back to life with her real lover.

     The only real gay scenes in this center around another pansy scene, this time the florist (Harold Minjir, who specialized in sissy roles). When Miss Vanderdoe first engages him, he suggests “an orgy of orchids,” and later when the party is being planned, he scolds one of his assistants for treating the orchids roughly, taking over to hang a cutting high over the room, explaining “A bruised orchard loses its personality.” A moment later, he falls from the small ladder, one of his staff asking, “Are you hurt?” He brushes himself off, slightly shaken, and answers “I’m slightly bruised, but I’ll carry on; get back to your work!” He obviously has become the slightly bruised orchid of the scene, while Joy is he central bruised flower of this work.

    This film is available in slightly blurred and darkened condition on YouTube. I could not find a better version to watch.

 

Los Angeles, November 3, 2026

Reprinted from My Queer Cinema blog (November 2026).