Lady Scarface (1941)

Don't listen to the negative reviews

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

It's a mild crowd pleaser for people who are exhausted by blockbusters.

By the time the dramatic fireworks start popping off, each one feels earned.

Although she only has perhaps half of the film's running time, the future Dame Judith Anderson really shines in this bottom of the bill crime drama which mixes some uncomfortable domestic comedy that seems somewhat out of place with some really violent action sequences. Looking like an outtake from a Leon Errol or Edgar Kennedy RKO short, this sequence is amusing, but it distracts from the really exciting stuff. Fresh from her movie success as the evil Mrs. Danvers in "Rebecca", Judith is truly scary as the mysterious Slade whom the FBI is aware of, but what they don't know is that she is a she. While it's obvious that Judith is aware that this movie is beneath her massive talents, she plays it with gusto and steals every moment she is on.When first seen, Judith is her shadowy profile, holding a gun on a victim while dressed as a scrubwoman. She has no remorse of doing what she needs to do to get away with the loot she forces the frightened man at gunpoint to open up his safe. Only 42 when this was made, Judith had already taken Broadway by storm in the 1930's, winning raves in such Broadway hits as "As You Desire Me", "The Old Maid" and "Family Portrait". She had also achieved great acclaim as Gertrude (Hamlet's mother) and later in 1941 would become one of the most praised actresses to portray Lady MacBeth. Like Tallulah Bankhead, she was "too big" for film, but unlike Tallulah, she achieved great acclaim in the movies in supporting roles while Tallulah attempted only leads. Their similar voices and strong features lacked vulnerability on camera, but Judith used that to her advantage by playing some of the most wonderfully domineering evil women on film.The remainder of the screen time is devoted to detective Dennis O'Keefe's attempts to find her and newspaper photographer Frances Neal's assistance in helping him discover who Slade really is. Comic moments featuring Eric Blore as a dog salesman who answers an add meant as a contact for Slade's pick-up person leads to the revelation of two people named Mary Jordan, one of whom gets an envelope filled with money by mistake. That fantastic hard-boiled blonde bombshell Marion Martin plays the Mary Jordan meant to receive the package, and she is involved in a fantastic car chase sequence. Mildred Coles, the innocent trained by Kay Francis to be a proper "Play Girl", plays the innocent young bride who gets the money by mistake, leading to all sorts of confusion. In spite of the distraction by these entertaining but unnecessary subplots, "Lady Scarface" is a fun low budget crime drama that truly shines with Judith in the spotlight.

The Film is Highlighted by Every Scene with the Dame known as Lady Scarface (Judith Anderson). There is Early Noir Inspiration in the Choice of Showing the Dark Character's Entrance in Striking Shadow. When the "Lady" is in Person the Flesh Crawls. Her Voice is a Siren from Hell.But when She is Off Screen the Movie Sinks to Comedy Relief and Cartoonish Romantic Boredom. It is Gut-Wrenchingly Awful at Times and comes off as Less a Crime Thriller and more like Nancy Drew. Talk about a Misfire.Worth a Watch for the Lady Scarface Scenes and Little Else. A Curiosity at Best and is Burdened Beyond Belief by All of the Rest of the Sickly, Smarmy, Sappiness.

Sometimes pre-war movie propaganda can take a strange turn, when they surface decades later. Lady Scarface, starring veteran actress Judith Anderson, as Slade, (long before she was tapped as a real "Dame"), gives us a tough female gangster boss, who rules with an iron fist over her small posse of cheap crimesters.This movie, directed by Frank Woodruff, spins a tale of murder and mayhem, bringing Dennis O'Keefe (Lt. Bill Mason) and Frances Neal (Ann), together as the cutie-pie couple who bring down Slade and her crew with surprising wit and affection.This film was clearly made to send the message that women should "toughen up", and be strong - especially in the face of approaching war. Writers Arnaud d'Usseau and Richard Collins, focus on juxtaposing newspaper reporter Ann and crime queen Slade. Ann is much braver and more honest than our hero cop, Bill, and she literally saves the day. Slade, for all of her ruthless nature, spends most of her time trapped – like a wild animal - in a tiny claustrophobic hotel room, pacing about and tersely snapping orders to her male minions. Like many women of the period who stayed home, Slade comes off weaker than her plucky female counterpart, Ann, who freely moves about the city to gather clues and get her woman (so to speak). A strange pairing, indeed!Lady Scarface is a rare prize found among the TCM film archives, so enjoy it the next time it comes to late-night TV.

Here's one more little jewel from the RKO collection. An exciting thriller, well plotted, amusing and concise (it hardly arrives to 70 minutes!). But what makes this film so special is its revolutionary treatment of the noir's conventions and the advanced-for-its-times feminist touch: here, the devious gangster is a woman (fantastic Judith Anderson)instead of a man, opposite to a brave female journalist who will help the police to catch her. The film deals admirably with the confusion game, relaying on the male centric point of view in noir's genre only to turn it down: the male main characters appear here as incompetent (those policemen who think they go after a man because they can't bear the idea of being defeated by a woman) and weak (the whole male gang is completely dominated by the powerful lady Scarface).Without doubts, "Lady Scarface" is one to watch! Don't miss either "The Curtain Call", from the same director, Frank Woodruff, and a funny screenplay by Dalton Trumbo.