Red-Headed Woman (1932) – full review!
Red-Headed Woman (1932) – full review!
What was probably a scandalous sensation in its day is now rather flat and dated. This pre-code drama directed by Jack Conway and written by Anita Loos from a Katharine Brush novel features Jean Harlow in the title role as Lillian ‘Red’ Andrews a girl from the other side of the tracks that uses her physical beauty and sexuality to ensnare men to get what she wants (the things money can buy) though she never earns the respectability she craves. As Lil’s roommate Sally Una Merkel’s character provides a comical perspective of her friend’s desires exploits and powerful influence over men.
Sally is there to observe Lil dump her bootlegger boyfriend and relentlessly pursue and seduce her boss Bill Legendre Jr. (Chester Morris) who seems to have no control over his actions once ‘Red’ has her hooks in him. His father Will Sr. (Lewis Stone) the owner of a coal business in Renwood that he runs with Bill can’t discharge her; he’s also powerless to stop his son’s divorce by his childhood sweetheart Irene ‘Rene’ Legendre (Leila Hyams) who had caught her husband with Red when she’d returned early from a trip with her Aunt Jane (May Robson). When Rene attempts a reconciliation with Bill who’d started drinking ever since she’d left him she learns that Lil and Bill have just been married.
But Lil is shunned in Renwood society and isn’t invited to parties like the one thrown for a New York coal magnate named C.B. Gaerste (Henry Stephenson) so she seduces him and threatens to expose her Charlie unless he invites Will Sr. Aunt Jane and his other friends to a party at her house. Though Lil thinks she’s finally made it Sally overhears otherwise and Lil catches all of her guests leaving early to be with Irene at her home across the street. After her ensuing tirade Will Sr. convinces Bill Jr. and C.B. to send her away to New York. Once there she exerts her influence over Charlie and become his mistress. However the Legendre men had detectives follow Lil and photograph her affairs with C.B.’s French chauffeur Albert (Charles Boyer). Once exposed she returns to Redwood where she hopes to reconcile with Bill.
When Lil gets home she learns that Bill has moved in with his father to avoid her. At Will Sr.’s she observes Bill and Irene kissing and making up. Lil has another outburst she then takes Will Sr.’s $500 check to leave and runs out the door to stop Bill and Irene from leaving in his car. Rejected once again Lil shoots Bill as he attempts to drive away then she runs off into the night. Two years later a fully recovered Bill with Irene and his father are at the races (a horse track) in Paris where through binoculars the men observe Lil in the winner’s circle with the trophy. With an ending that defied the censors of the time the film ends with Lil driving off with the old bearded man the horse’s owner that’s she’s obviously hooked similarly; Albert is the chauffeur.
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