{{short description|1930 film}} {{Use mdy dates|date=November 2020}} {{Infobox film | name = Second Choice | image = Second Choice (1930) advertisement.jpg | caption = Advertisement in ''Motion Picture News'' | director = Howard Bretherton | producer = | writer = Joseph Jackson | based_on = Elizabeth Alexander (novel) | starring = Dolores Costello<br />Chester Morris | music = | cinematography = John Stumar | editing = Robert O. Crandell | studio = Warner Bros. Pictures | distributor = Warner Bros. Pictures | released = {{Film date|1930|01|04}} | runtime = 67 minutes | country = United States | language = English }}
'''''Second Choice''''' is a 1930 American pre-Code romantic drama film released by Warner Bros. Pictures and starring Dolores Costello and Chester Morris.<ref>''The American Film Institute Catalog Feature Films 1921-30'', c. 1971 by The American Film Institute</ref><ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20150918204154/http://www.afi.com/members/catalog/DetailView.aspx?s=&Movie=11941 The AFI Catalog of Feature Films: ''Second Choice''], afi.com. Accessed July 24, 2023.</ref> The film is notable as being the first (and only film) in which Dolores Costello sang.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article29840756 |title=11 Oct 1930 - "SECOND CHOICE" - Trove |website=Nla.gov.au |date=October 11, 1930 |accessdate=July 23, 2016}}</ref> It is a lost film.{{citation needed|date=May 2016}} The film was based on the story by Elizabeth Alexander and was adapted for the screen by Joseph Jackson.
==Plot== Vallery Grove is in love with Don Warren, but her mother opposes the match because he is poor and has no social standing. Don decides to terminate his engagement to Vallery after attending a party where he meets a spoiled rich girl who is interested in him.
Dolores is later introduced to Owen Mallory who informs her that Don is now planning to marry the spoiled rich girl. Mallory, who has himself been recently jilted, and Vallery find comfort in each other and eventually Owen proposes to Vallery. She finally accepts, and they elope.
Once she is married, Vallery discovers that Don has broken off his engagement. She becomes uncertain about her love for Mallory and while her husband is away on business, she invites Don, who is drunk, into her house.
==Cast== *Dolores Costello as Vallery Grove *Chester Morris as Don Warren *Jack Mulhall as Mallory *Edna Murphy as Beth Randall *Ethlyne Clair as Edith Pemberton *Charlotte Merriam as Satterlee *James Clemens as Ned Pemberton *Edward Martindel as Herbert Satterlee *Henry Stockbridge as Mr. Grove *Anna Chance as Mrs. Grove *Louise Beavers as Maid ''(uncredited)'' *Louise Lester - Bit Role ''(uncredited)''
==Music== The theme song was called "Life Can Be So Lonesome" and was sung by Dolores Costello in the picture. It was composed by Al Dubin, Joe Burke and M.K Jerome. The theme song was recorded by Debroy Somers for Columbia and released as part of series of recordings known as "Talkie Tunes Medley".<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iu5ePpPo09Y |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211215/iu5ePpPo09Y |archive-date=2021-12-15 |url-status=live|title=Debroy Somers Talkie Tunes Medley |publisher=YouTube |date=March 27, 2009 |accessdate=July 23, 2016}}{{cbignore}}</ref>
==Reception== ''The New York Times'' wrote that the director held audiences' attention but said of the film's cast, "Jack Mulhall is miscast as Mallory and gives a halting performance. Miss Costello moves slowly and speaks the pseudo-smart lines with uncertainty. Chester Morris grimmaces as usual and never forgets he is the 'heavy,' and neither does the onlooker."<ref>{{cite news | url=https://movies.nytimes.com/movie/review?_r=1&res=9A06E1D8143BE23ABC4C53DFB766838B629EDE | archive-url=https://archive.today/20130427114354/http://movies.nytimes.com/movie/review?_r=1&res=9A06E1D8143BE23ABC4C53DFB766838B629EDE | url-status=dead | archive-date=April 27, 2013 | title='SECOND CHOICE' AT BEACON; Dolores Costello and Chester Morris Star in New Talkie | work=The New York Times | date=January 4, 1930 }}</ref> ''Pittsburgh Press'' wrote, "When it doesn't try to take itself too seriously, 'Second Choice' ... is what is known in film trade circle as a fairly good 'program' picture." The newspaper said that some dialogue was sometimes "ridiculous" and sometimes "fairly credible". It complained, "If 'Second Choice' had been made as a straight comedy it would have been a much better picture. The combination of comedy, drama and a tinge of melodrama was a little too much for it to swallow."<ref>{{cite news | last=Krug | first=Karl B | url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=sSAbAAAAIBAJ&pg=2467,5490012&dq=dolores-costello+second-choice&hl=en | title=Talkie Lovers in Scramble | work=Pittsburgh Press | date=December 28, 1929 }}</ref>
==Preservation status== ''Second Choice'' is now considered a lost film. No prints are known to exist.
==See also== *List of lost films
==References== {{Reflist}}
==External links== *{{IMDb title|id=0021350|title=Second Choice}} *[https://www.allmovie.com/movie/second-choice-v109220 allmovie/synopsis] *Still photographs from the set of lost film ''Second Choice'': [http://www.silentfilmstillarchive.com/stills/second_choice031.jpg photo#1], ...[http://www.silentfilmstillarchive.com/stills/second_choice045.jpg photo#2] {{Howard Bretherton}} {{DEFAULTSORT:Second Choice}} Category:1930 films Category:1930 lost films Category:1930 romantic drama films Category:1930 American films Category:1930 English-language films Category:American black-and-white films Category:English-language romantic drama films Category:Films directed by Howard Bretherton Category:Lost American romantic drama films Category:Warner Bros. films