Red-Headed Woman

Dir. Jack Conway

79 Minutes

USA

1932

Starring: Jean Harlow, Chester Morris, Lewis Stone, Leila Hyams, Una Merkel, Henry Stephenson

****/*****

Highly enjoyable pre-code comedy(?) about a gold-digging woman (Jean Harlow) with extremely red hair who sets her sights on a married man (Chester Morris) in efforts to raise her social standing. Nice companion piece to the following years Baby Face, though possibly far more dirtier than that oft-cited work. The entire film is drenched in sex, explicitly through a nice speech by Leila Hyams as Morris' wife ("You caught him with sex. But, sex isn't the only thing in life and it doesn't last forever and when it's gone you'll lose him! Because then he'll want love! And love is one thing you don't know anything about and never will!") , and in implied behavior, body language, looks, holy smokes. Even the camera work becomes sexually playful, such as Harlow and Una Merkel swapping clothes with the camera avoiding the nudity (though there is a surprising quick glimpse at Harlow's breasts). There is some nice supporting work by a young Charles Boyer as a chauffeur who aids Harlow in her plans. Harlow is more fun to watch than Stanwyck is the later film, and I love how content this film is to have us side with her rather than becoming conventional in its romance. There is no "redeeming man" at the other end of this tunnel, and the end almost sets the viewer up for more. Harlow's character has a mastery of her lower status, hears rumors from other people in her position, and is able to play both sides against each other and, despite being unsuccessful this go-round, is still hungry for more. A real run film on the whole, and a great entry point into the style and themes running through much of repeated screened pre-code cinema.

August 26th, 2019