Three Who Loved
Brief Synopsis
A bank teller's love life falls apart when he's accused of embezzling.
Cast & Crew
Read More
George Archainbaud
Director
Betty Compson
Helga Larson Hanson
Conrad Nagel
John Hanson
Robert Ames
Phil Wilson
Robert E. O'connor
Tom Rooney
Bodil Rosing
Aunt Annie
Film Details
Also Known As
Helga
Genre
Drama
Release Date
Jul
3,
1931
Premiere Information
not available
Production Company
RKO Radio Pictures, Inc.
Distribution Company
RKO Radio Pictures, Inc.
Country
United States
Technical Specs
Duration
1h 4m
Sound
Mono (RCA Photophone System)
Color
Black and White
Theatrical Aspect Ratio
1.37 : 1
Film Length
7 reels
Synopsis
John Hanson, the head teller at a bank, sends for his fiancée, Helga Larson, from Sweden and moves her into his boardinghouse, which is run by Swedish immigrant Aunt Annie. Because he spends all of his nights studying for his bar exam, John neglects the innocent Helga and makes her a ripe target for Phil Wilson, his philandering co-worker. Sure that Phil's interest in Helga is strictly friendly, John allows Helga to go out with him, and a romance soon blossoms. Eventually, Aunt Annie warns a still oblivous John about Phil and encourages him to proceed with his marriage plans. Although Phil assures John that he has no interest in Helga, he continues to see her and, after a long afternoon together, seduces her with promises of marriage. At the same time, John, who has been speculating on the stock market, learns that, unless he finds $10,000 immediately, he will lose all of the money that he had been saving up to buy a house for Helga. Desperate to please Helga, John steals $10,000 from Phil's money drawer and then hears from Helga that she and Phil are engaged. The next day, Phil, who is about to leave town to escape Helga, is picked up by Tom Rooney, John's police detective friend, and is questioned about the missing bank funds. For a moment, John considers admitting his crime but finally allows Phil to take the blame. Five years later, Helga, who has married the now successful John, grows despondent after the birthday party of their son Sonny, and abandons John to attend a wild party. When she and her socialite friends return, John confronts Helga and finally forces her to admit that she still loves Phil, who is serving a five-year sentence in Sing Sing Prison. Overcome with guilt, John writes a confession of his crime and then asks Rooney to come by his house. At the same time, Phil escapes from prison and hides himself in John's house. While John prepares to leave for prison, Phil surprises Helga and, filled with spite, tells her that he never had intended to marry her. Crushed, Helga joins Rooney in trying to convince John to remain silent about his theft, but John insists on clearing his conscience. After Rooney leaves, an angry Phil confronts John, then runs outside to avoid capture. In John's yard, the police kill Phil, and a loving Helga tells John that she will wait for him.
Director
George Archainbaud
Director
Cast
Betty Compson
Helga Larson Hanson
Conrad Nagel
John Hanson
Robert Ames
Phil Wilson
Robert E. O'connor
Tom Rooney
Bodil Rosing
Aunt Annie
Dickie Moore
Sonny Hanson
Freddie Santley
Crew
Tommy Atkins
Assistant Director
Joe Biroc
2nd Camera
Robert Coburn
Still Photographer
James Daly
Assistant Camera
George Diskant
Assistant Camera
Beulah Marie Dix
Adapted and dial
Martin Flavin
[Wrt] by
Edward Henderson
2nd Camera
Jack Kitchin
Film Editor
Lloyd Knechtel
Photography Effects
William Lebaron
Producer
Bertram Millhauser
Associate Producer
Nick Musuraca
Photography
Clem Portman
Recording
Max Rée
Costumes
Max Rée
Scenery
Harold Wellman
Assistant Camera
Harry Wild
2nd Camera
Film Details
Also Known As
Helga
Genre
Drama
Release Date
Jul
3,
1931
Premiere Information
not available
Production Company
RKO Radio Pictures, Inc.
Distribution Company
RKO Radio Pictures, Inc.
Country
United States
Technical Specs
Duration
1h 4m
Sound
Mono (RCA Photophone System)
Color
Black and White
Theatrical Aspect Ratio
1.37 : 1
Film Length
7 reels
Articles
Three Who Loved
Conrad Nagel came to Hollywood after honing his talent on Broadway, specializing in well-mannered, upstanding, and sincere, if a bit dull, young men - a reputation scuffed only slightly by his appearance in the racy older woman/younger man romance Three Weeks (1924). Billed in early sound films as "The Man With The Perfect Voice", he's matched well on-screen with the equally mellifluous Betty Compson. Here, the two star as Swedish immigrants looking to make good in the New World. John Hanson (Nagel) is sincere enough in his love for Helga (Compson) that he sends for her to join him in America and invests to earn money for the home they'll share, but foolishly neglects her in favor of being consumed by his law studies. That gives his wolfish co-worker Phil (Robert Ames) ripe opportunity to swoop in -- just as John loses big on the stock market. But Phil has access to the kind of big money his rival just lost. Will John swipe the cash in fair trade? Nagel gets a chance here to weather the kind of shady temptations "nice boys" don't often get to try, and Compson is, as always, a gal worth fighting over.
Three Who Loved
Conrad Nagel came to Hollywood after honing his talent on Broadway, specializing in well-mannered, upstanding, and sincere, if a bit dull, young men - a reputation scuffed only slightly by his appearance in the racy older woman/younger man romance Three Weeks (1924). Billed in early sound films as "The Man With The Perfect Voice", he's matched well on-screen with the equally mellifluous Betty Compson. Here, the two star as Swedish immigrants looking to make good in the New World. John Hanson (Nagel) is sincere enough in his love for Helga (Compson) that he sends for her to join him in America and invests to earn money for the home they'll share, but foolishly neglects her in favor of being consumed by his law studies. That gives his wolfish co-worker Phil (Robert Ames) ripe opportunity to swoop in -- just as John loses big on the stock market. But Phil has access to the kind of big money his rival just lost. Will John swipe the cash in fair trade? Nagel gets a chance here to weather the kind of shady temptations "nice boys" don't often get to try, and Compson is, as always, a gal worth fighting over.
Quotes
Trivia
Notes
The working title of this film was Helga. According to the copyright synopsis, the character of "Phil" is killed by falling into a deep pool. "Phil's" demise is not shown or described on screen, however. RKO borrowed Conrad Nagel from M-G-M for this production. According to Film Daily, Arline Judge was cast in the picture, but her participation in the final film has not been confirmed.
