Red-Headed Woman (1932)

This movie is the proof that the world is becoming a sick and dumb place

Good movie but grossly overrated

Brilliant and touching

In truth, there is barely enough story here to make a film.

Shortly before Mae West fizzled the screen with Paramount's 1933 releases of both SHE DONE HIM WRONG and I'M NO ANGEL, Jean Harlow (1911-1937) starred in a somewhat daring product titled RED-HEADED WOMAN (Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, 1932), directed by Jack Conway, with screenplay by Anita Loos, from the book by Katherine Brush. It was Harlow's most breakthrough, pre-code production for its time. While such a title that might have been better suited for comedienne, Lucille Ball, a decade later, the situations on the other hand depicted in this screenplay is another story. Oddly enough, RED-HEADED WOMAN was labeled into Harlow's character, whose earlier movie title, PLATINUM BLONDE (Columbia, 1931), for which she also appeared, has become her lifelong trademark slogan. Though she did retain her blonde hairstyle throughout her short-lived movie career, as a "red-headed woman," Harlow shows she's not just another blonde but a sex-craved girl who's loose morals are simply "red hot." As an off-screen male vocalist sings the title song during the opening credits (and visually reprized later on), the story introduces Lil Andrews (Jean Harlow) in a beauty parlor getting her hair dyed red and then buying a new sexy transparent dress at a department store to impress her office employer, Bill Legendre (Chester Morris). Working as his secretary for two months, and knowing full well that he's happily married to his wife, Irene (Leila Hyams), who happens to be out of town in Cleveland with Bill's Aunt Jane (May Robson), Lil takes it upon herself to take some letters work to his home as a friendly gesture. In doing that, she catches Bill off guard and comes on to him. At first Bill resists her, but weakens through a series of kisses. His weakness leads to a surprise early arrival by Irene later that night, for which Lil makes a drastic exit from Bill's home hours after her arrival. Hearing the news and hoping to have the marriage saved, Bill's father William Legendre Sr. (Lewis Stone) arranges to have "a girl like that" transferred to the Cleveland office. With Lil refusing to part with Bill, the young adulteress succeeds in having the couple divorce, with Bill not only becoming her husband, but arranging for them to take up residence in a home directly across the street from his ex-wife. Lil, now affectionately called "Red" by Bill, does everything possible breaking into high society and meeting the right kind of people, even to a point of phony tearful outbursts. When Lil finally tires of Bill and her marriage, she soon finds other interests.Though there are serious overtones found in RED-HEADED WOMAN, especially moments involving the poor wife (Hyams), it's virtually a comedy of loose immorality and double-meaning dialogue told from the secretary's point of view. Una Merkel's Sally offers typical best girlfriend/roommate support whose character virtually gives surprising gasps throughout much of Harlow's proceedings. Harlow and Merkel certainly must have gotten some gasps from critics and theater patrons alike during their negligee stripping sequence by which the camera shifts upward to hide the proceedings.Also in the cast is Henry Stephenson as Charles B. Gaerste, a conservative friend of the Legendre family, who falls victim of Lil's girlish charms, and Charles Boyer playing Gaerste's chauffeur. Although Boyer, early in his career and slightly unrecognizable, has little to do, he does take part in the important epilogue set two years later in Paris for a very much surprised finish. Harvey Clark (Fred); William Pawley (Al, Lil's bootlegger boyfriend); Henry Armetta (The Waiter) and Edgar Norton (The Butler) round up the rest of the cast.When I first stumbled upon RED-HEADED WOMAN, it was while attending the New York City revival movie house of Regency Theater located on Broadway and 68th Street around 1980. Having no knowledge of what's now categorized as "pre-code" movies, I was very much surprised by this one, especially the fact it was released at all. Aside from that, I also observed reactions from others in attendance, and at one point during the midway point, noticing an middle-aged man walking out of the theater saying angrily to himself, "No morals. No morals!" Aside from seeing other patrons doing the Una Merkel "gasps" reactions themselves, the biggest roar of laughter took place in a scene where Gaerste (Stephenson) is shown by Bill how he's been duped by Lil while showing him some still photographs taken by a private detective indicating her activities, literally, behind his back! Four years later, Jean Harlow assumed the profession of secretary once again in WIFE VS. SECRETARY (1936), opposite Clark Gable, Myrna Loy, James Stewart and May Robson. As much as that title might have been appropriately used over RED-HEADED WOMAN, the 1936 drama, produced after the production code was enforced, was very much opposite in tone. Unlike the sex-starved, bra-less Lil Andrews, WIFE VS. SECRETARY shows Harlow off in a totally different, most refined style instead, which makes the 1936 movie a very interesting treat to behold on Harlow fans.Years later, RED-HEADED WOMAN surfaced on cable television, including Showtime (1984), Turner Network Television (1989-1992), before becoming a permanent fixture, thus far, on Turner Classic Movies. Formerly distributed to home video as part of the Forbidden Hollywood series, RED HEADED WOMAN has become available on DVD, with WATERLOO BRIDGE (Universal, 1931) on its flip side. Due to the boss and secretary theme, on a personal level, RED-HEADED WOMAN should have been placed as a companion piece with another pre-code product, BABY FACE (Warner Brothers, 1933), starring Barbara Stanwyck and George Brent, instead. (***)

In the second of her two films under her new MGM contract Jean Harlow was cast in the title role in Red Headed Woman. Naturally her trademark platinum blonde tresses were dyed for the occasion, but the results were well worth it.In the days before Women's Liberation sex was sometimes the only way and it still is the way for some to rise to the top. Jean has no discernible talents in the workplace, but she's got the body and the appeal and she knows how to use it. And she doesn't care if the man has a wedding ring.First case in point was Chester Morris whom she steals from his wife Leila Hyams. But that doesn't gain her any respectability even with a rich husband. That doesn't deter her in the slightest, she goes out an seduces the town social leader Henry Stephenson who was working against type, he's usually the moral core of any film he's in.If we didn't know the year we'd know this was a before the Code film. Jean's a husband stealing amoral witch of a woman, but she's got a certain likability to her that makes you kind of root for her bedward march up the social scale. And seeing Stephenson of all the players in Hollywood brought low by this vixen. Lewis Stone who was also a paragon of virtue most of the time and plays Morris's father, you could believe it of Judge Hardy faster.You'll also see Charles Boyer in the small role of Stephenson's chauffeur who's a side interest for Harlow and looking to climb in the same manner. The ending of Red-Headed Woman would also never pass Code muster.See this one if you can, the cinema wouldn't get this mature for another thirty years.

Found this film to be very disappointing. Yes, it was fun to see Jean Harlow vamp her brains out, but she was so completely transparent so as to conclude she was dealing with inferior mentalities. Chester Morris was the leading Inferior Mentality and it was very sad to see stalwart, dignified Henry Stephenson being played for a fool in similar fashion. Reliable Una Merkel is on hand as the female sidekick in a role she could mail in from home.This is billed as a 'Pre-Code' picture, presumably very daring for its time, before the inception of the Hays Office. I don't know, maybe it was provocative in 1932 - I'm not that old. Nowadays, however, this movie is as provocative as a bowl of oatmeal, and nearly as interesting.I love old movies - that's why I gave it a 5. I just hate being taken to the cleaners by tripe like this passing itself off as quality entertainment. And COMEDY? there was very little remotely funny about this picture. It was a drama - and not a good one. Screenwriter Anita Loos should have been profoundly embarrassed by this misfire.

Now I was too young to see Miss Harlow in this riotous comedy in 1932,I was all of 4 years old.I finally did see it when I was a teen at the MOMA in NYC. I am sure I liked it, I saw it again last night as part of a double bill with Waterloo Bridge (1931). it was part of the Forbidden Hollywod collection from NETFLIX.It is still a very funny albeit very very stupid, using todays films as a guideline.This was one Jean Harlow's first films, What an comic she was, It was & still is a shame that she left us in 1937 at only 26 years old. We lost a bright comet then. She is great as a gold-digger who uses men as her playthings.Chester Morris was her co-star,He already was a veteran actor and was a much better one than many believe. When his contract at MGM was over he went to Monogram & made the Boston Blackie , private eye series of films,. They did nothing to help his career,Jack Conway directed & Anitra Loos wrote a witty screenplay based on a novel.Also appearing are Una Merkel, May Robson & Lewis Stone.Slickly produce by Irving Thalberg (no title credit)Rating: *** (out of 4) 82 POINTS (OUT OF 1) IMDb 7 (out of 10)