In 1928, Cornell played the lead role of the countess Ellen Olenska in a dramatized version of Edith Wharton's novel "The Age of Innocence". Her performance received only positive reviews. After this success, Cornell was offered the lead in "The Dishonored Lady". It was originally intended for Ethel Barrymore, who failed to accept the role. The play is a lurid melodrama about true-life murder in Glasgow, Scotland. Walter Winchell wrote, "Never in the history of the theatre has an actress of such distinction permitted such an exciting scene. She actually permits a man to crack her a powerful wallop in the face!" One critic complained about the "fifth rate claptrap" of a play, and chastised Cornell for selecting such lowbrow theater as a waste of her talents.