New York Nights (1929) in Color — Starring Norma Talmadge & Gilbert Roland

New York Nights (1929) — Buy This Classic in Color

New York Nights (1929) is a pre-Code drama set in the glamorous world of Broadway, starring Norma Talmadge, Gilbert Roland, and Lilyan Tashman, with a young Jean Harlow in an early appearance. Directed by Lewis Milestone, this professionally colorized version brings the Jazz Age excitement to vivid new life. A raw and compelling portrait of ambition, addiction, and survival in the final glittering days before the crash, New York Nights captures the dangerous glamour of late-1920s Manhattan. Buy your colorized copy today for €15.00 and own this fascinating classic movie in color.

Plot Summary

Jill Doree (Norma Talmadge) is a successful Broadway star married to the handsome songwriter Fred Doree (Gilbert Roland). Their glamorous life seems perfect from the outside — a penthouse apartment, celebrity friends, and the admiration of all of New York’s fashionable society. But beneath the surface, Fred’s gambling addiction is spiraling catastrophically out of control, plunging them deep into debt and threatening to destroy everything they have built together. When Fred borrows money from the sinister racketeer Johnny Donahue (John Wray), a ruthless underworld figure who controls a network of speakeasies and gambling dens throughout the city, he falls hopelessly under the gangster’s power and begins a devastating descent into desperation. Donahue’s predatory interest in the beautiful Jill adds a dangerous new dimension to their problems, as the gangster makes it clear that his “generosity” comes with expectations that go far beyond mere financial repayment. As Fred gambles away everything they own — their savings, their home, even the royalties from his songs — and Jill’s career is threatened by the growing scandal surrounding her husband’s debts, she must find the strength and resourcefulness to save both her marriage and herself from the predatory forces closing in around them. Set against the backdrop of smoky speakeasies, glittering Broadway theaters, and opulent penthouse parties during the roaring final days before the stock market crash that would change America forever, the film offers a raw, unflinching pre-Code look at the dark side of Jazz Age glamour that the Hays Code would soon make impossible to portray on screen.

Cast & Crew

Director: Lewis Milestone

Stars: Norma Talmadge, Gilbert Roland, Lilyan Tashman, John Wray, Mary Doran, Roscoe Karns, Jean Harlow, Al Jolson, Clarence Muse

Why Buy This Classic in Color?

This colorized version of New York Nights reveals the dazzling Broadway stage shows with their elaborate sets and costumed performers, the opulent speakeasies with their rich wood paneling and warm amber lighting, and the stunning Art Deco interiors with gorgeous new visual richness. The flapper fashions, beaded gowns, and tuxedoed gentlemen of the Jazz Age come alive with period-accurate colors that transport you directly into the world of 1929 Manhattan. The original black and white film captured the Jazz Age atmosphere effectively, but the professionally colorized restoration brings out the sequined costumes that sparkle under stage lights, the neon-lit streets of Times Square, the intimate candlelit scenes in underground clubs, and the lavish party scenes with frame-by-frame precision. The contrast between the glittering public world of Broadway and the increasingly desperate private world of the characters becomes even more striking in color. Watch this restored classic film in vibrant, period-perfect color. Now also available in colour.

Buy New York Nights in color today for just €15.00. Your DRM-free MP4 download is available for instant access.

Historical Significance

New York Nights was one of Norma Talmadge’s final films as the silent era’s biggest female star attempted the difficult transition to sound pictures. Once the highest-paid actress in Hollywood, Talmadge struggled with talkies and this film captures her at a poignant crossroads, still commanding the screen with remarkable presence even as the industry was changing around her. Directed by the Oscar-winning Lewis Milestone, who had just won the Academy Award for Two Arabian Knights and would soon direct the landmark All Quiet on the Western Front, the film captures the frantic energy and moral complexity of late 1920s New York just before the stock market crash changed everything. A very young Jean Harlow appears in a small but notable role as a party girl, a brief glimpse of the platinum bombshell before her meteoric rise to become one of Hollywood’s most iconic stars. The film’s unflinching pre-Code treatment of gambling addiction, underworld violence, and sexual exploitation gives it a raw honesty that would be impossible just a few years later. The colorization brings sparkling visual life to this rare and invaluable snapshot of Broadway at the dawn of the talkies.

Technical Details

• Format: MP4 digital download
• Resolution: HD restored
• Colorized: Professionally colorized from original black and white
• Audio: Original mono restored
• Runtime: Approximately 83 minutes
• DRM-free: Yes — watch on any device
• Instant download: Available immediately after purchase
• Price: €15.00

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Movie-Specific Questions

Q: Does this feature a young Jean Harlow?
A: Yes, Jean Harlow appears in an early role as a party girl before becoming one of Hollywood’s biggest and most iconic stars. It’s a fascinating glimpse at one of cinema’s legends before her breakthrough.

Q: Is this the complete version?
A: Yes, this is the full 1929 theatrical release directed by Lewis Milestone, presented in its professionally colorized version with all scenes intact.

Q: Who is Norma Talmadge?
A: Norma Talmadge was one of the biggest female stars of the silent film era, a major box office draw throughout the 1920s. New York Nights was one of her final films as she, like many silent stars, struggled with the transition to talking pictures.

Digital Download Questions

Q: What format is the download?
A: DRM-free MP4, compatible with virtually any device or media player.

Q: How much does it cost?
A: €15.00 for instant download. The colorization process ensures every scene looks stunning in color.

Q: Can I watch on multiple devices?
A: Absolutely. The file is DRM-free, so you can watch on your TV, tablet, phone, or computer.

Related Colorized Classics

• The Finger Points (1931)
• No Way Out (1950)
• Boston Blackie Goes Hollywood (1942)
• The Bride Wore Red (1937)
• Ladies of Leisure (1930)