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Red-Headed Woman follows Lil (Jean Harlow), a young woman that is willing to do anything to climb the corporate ladder. This includes seducing her married wealthy boss, his wealthier father, a well-known tycoon and client of the company, and his driver. Will all this be enough to get her on the "right" side of the tracks?
This was yet another film I saw as I was preparing for a podcast episode on Pre-Code films and this was certainly a pretty solid example of what Pre-Code is. You gotta love a film that presents a lead character that is reprehensible and not likable, and still sticks with her all the way. Lil is indeed unlikable, has no scruples, and her moral compass is out of whack, if non-existent; and still I found myself fascinated by her character.
Part of that is on Harlow's sassy and confident performance, but also on a script that pits her against foolish men you know won't stand a chance. So in a way, it's on them not her to hold their horses. If anything, I did find the character of Irene (Leila Hyams) to be quite tragic, even if the resolution didn't fully throw her under the bus.
Back when the Hays Code was established, they listed a set of "Don'ts"for the film industry which included profanity, nudity, sex perversion, and prostitution. Red-Headed Woman has most of those making it a prime example of that era. But it's also a pretty fine film on its own, even if some people see t as being on the wrong side of the railroad tracks.
Grade:
RED-HEADED WOMAN
(1932, Conway)
A film with a color in its title ● A film from the 1930s
(1932, Conway)
A film with a color in its title ● A film from the 1930s
"Sally, I made up my mind a long time ago, I'm not gonna spend my whole life on the wrong side of the railroad tracks."
Red-Headed Woman follows Lil (Jean Harlow), a young woman that is willing to do anything to climb the corporate ladder. This includes seducing her married wealthy boss, his wealthier father, a well-known tycoon and client of the company, and his driver. Will all this be enough to get her on the "right" side of the tracks?
This was yet another film I saw as I was preparing for a podcast episode on Pre-Code films and this was certainly a pretty solid example of what Pre-Code is. You gotta love a film that presents a lead character that is reprehensible and not likable, and still sticks with her all the way. Lil is indeed unlikable, has no scruples, and her moral compass is out of whack, if non-existent; and still I found myself fascinated by her character.
Part of that is on Harlow's sassy and confident performance, but also on a script that pits her against foolish men you know won't stand a chance. So in a way, it's on them not her to hold their horses. If anything, I did find the character of Irene (Leila Hyams) to be quite tragic, even if the resolution didn't fully throw her under the bus.
Back when the Hays Code was established, they listed a set of "Don'ts"for the film industry which included profanity, nudity, sex perversion, and prostitution. Red-Headed Woman has most of those making it a prime example of that era. But it's also a pretty fine film on its own, even if some people see t as being on the wrong side of the railroad tracks.
Grade: