Undercrank Productions is proud to bring The Cardboard Lover to home video for the first time, in a brand new 2K restoration. This hilarious, rollicking farce features Marion Davies at her most vivacious, expertly directed by Robert Z. Leonard.
1928 was a hat-trick of box office hits for Marion Davies — The Patsy, Show People and The Cardboard Lover. While the first two have become beloved silent classics, The Cardboard Lover has rarely been seen and can now take its rightful place in the pantheon of Marion Davies’s best-loved films.
Davies is a tourist visiting Monte Carlo who befriends a tennis champion (Nils Asther, in his only comedic role) who is trying to break things off with his romantic partner (Jetta Goudal). Davies offers to help him break the spell he’s under by posing as his new girlfriend. This sets off a wacky chain of plot twists, during which Asther winds up falling for Davies. From Davies’s antics to Asther’s surprising comedic gifts, The Cardboard Lover is a rare gem that will leave you in stitches from start to finish.
This restoration is derived from 35mm film elements preserved by the Library of Congress, the Blackhawk Films Collection and the British Film Institute, and features a new theatre organ score by Ben Model. Also included on the disc is a short documentary on the film, written by Marion Davies biographer Lara Gabrielle.
The Cardboard Lover (1928) – 76 mins
Special Features:
Marion Davies: Steward of Her Legacy (2026) – 9 mins
Side-By-Side Restoration Comparison – 10 mins
Format: Blu-ray / DVD
95 mins ● B&W/tinted ● Silent with score (stereo) ● 1:33:1 aspect ratio ● Not Rated ● Region ABC (all-regions) for Blu-ray ● NTSC Region free for DVD
An Undercrank Productions release. Produced for home video by Ben Model. Associate Producer: Crystal Kui.
Release date: August 2026
