Feuerkopf

Jean Harlow is the star of "Red-Headed Woman," a precode film about a golddigger men can't resist. Irving Thalberg thought the audience didn't catch onto Harlow's character immediately, so the scene at the beginning, when Harlow asks if the dress she tries on is see-through, is his. And yes, it certainly does establish her character: Finding out that the dress can be seen through, her character, Lillian, announces, "I'll wear it." Lillian is a riot - completely obvious, with her tight-fitting, low-cut clothing, cupie-doll voice, and swinging hips - everything about her says "trash," and she makes sure she follows the perception up with action by showing her garters (one of which has a picture of the boss inserted) and not hesitating to remove them and everything else if the situation calls for it. It's in this way that she breaks up the marriage of the boss, the hapless Bill Legendre, Jr. (Chester Morris) and gets into the big money. When that doesn't give her the social standing she wants, she seduces the fabulously successful Charlie Gaerste and then blackmails him into making the socially acceptable crowd attend a party at her home. She continues from there.

This is precode, so don't look for any type of punishment or for the character to take the moral ground. The ground she's on is too lucrative. Harlow is a delight -- pretty, vivacious, sexy, and always likable as the outrageous Lillian. A great loss to the world that she died so young. No matter what type of role she played, there was something very lovable about her, as demonstrated by her tremendous popularity. She has been compared to Monroe for obvious reasons, and both left lasting legacies as sexy, funny, vulnerable stars.

Una Merkel gives Harlow good backup as her roommate, and Charles Boyer appears in a small role. Though it's not my favorite Harlow - I love her in films like Libeled Lady, Wife vs. Secretary, and Suzy, where she sparks more with the other actors - this is very good and a great example of a precode film.

Most films made for prohibition era audiences painted the poor as virtuous and the rich as those who were keeping them down. This one turns that mainly Warner Brothers model on its head. Here it is the poor but beautiful office worker, Lillian (Jean Harlow), who sets her cap for her rich married boss, Bill Legendre (Chester Morris). She is persistent, because Bill is hard to break down. He has known his wife, Irene (Leila Hyams), since they were kids, and is really in love with his wife.

Bill caves a few time to Lillian's sexual heat, but he would never have left his wife for her. Lillian gets that, and is counting on the wife's pride to do the rest. It works, Irene leaves Bill and leaves the field to Lillian. But Lillian's undoing is that she cannot leave well enough alone, even after she is the second Mrs. Bill Legendre.

Harlow just fills this screen with her presence. She had been in other MGM productions for the last year or so, but this was her star making role. It's more than her beauty. This girl has "It" as much as real red head Clara Bow had it in the silent era. Una Murkel plays Jean's pal who seems content to sit on the sidelines and watch, but you get the feeling if she could pull something like this off she would. Henry Stephenson has a great comical role in this film. And look for Charles Boyer in a very small but important role as Stephenson's chauffeur.

I can't help but notice how similar this plot is to the production code film "The Women" - rich man loves his wife but likes sex with poor social climbing homewrecker with a plot that turns on the pride of the wife. I wonder if there is any connection?

At any rate, highly recommended plus it has a great hummable theme song that is even performed by a crooner at its midpoint - "Red Headed Woman".

Harlow was about 21 years old when she made this film but she certainly seems older. In real life, she eloped at 16 and didn't have much of an education. Her accent here is flimsy. But her white skin was perfect for the period's bright lights and slow film. We see and understand well her expressions.

This film shows garters and a surprising morality. The gold-digger gets her gold, conniving and finagling all the way. It seems that a beautiful young woman, who confidently knows what she is, can get anything she wants from a man. Classic Jean Harlow (and I guess Anita Loos). Harlow's act is not ditzy coquette - she knows exactly what she's doing and so do we. It's fun to watch the story unfold.

The men are props but acquit themselves well. Charles Boyer, accent and all, plays the apparently genuine love interest. Watch for the scene where his character is accused of having an affair with a woman already having an affair. Only Boyer could get the right pause before answering matter-of-factly. This was one of his first American films.

Lillian, a girl from the wrong side of the tracks, knows exactly what she wants & how to get it. Right now, she wants her young, handsome, rich & very married boss. Using her considerable - one might almost say ostentatious - physical charms, Lillian lets few obstacles stand in her way for long. After all, she's THE RED-HEADED WOMAN, and she always gets her man...

Jean Harlow was a sensation in this immoral tale, which practically shouts its pre-Production Code status. This film solidified her stardom and helped define her screen persona for generations of viewers to come. She not only had the looks, but she proved herself to be a fine actress, as well.

While the plot revolves around Harlow, the rest of the cast acquit themselves very well: Chester Morris, stern-jawed but very vulnerable as Jean's conquest; Leila Hyams, quietly sympathetic as Morris' wife; canny old Lewis Stone as Morris' father - one of the few men able to see through Harlow's tricks; Henry Stephenson as a millionaire who falls easy prey to Harlow's wiles. The story is helped considerably by the addition of two tart-tongued character actresses, Una Merkel & May Robson, whose lively lines help spark the fun. That's Charles Boyer, not quite yet a star, as Jean's chauffeur/boyfriend at the end of the story.

Movie mavens will recognize Henry Armetta in an uncredited bit as a comic waiter.

Notice that for all her outrageous behavior, Harlow's character remains unpunished & unrepentant - a situation not allowed a couple of years later with the adoption of the Code.

To me, it was very easy to see Jean Harlow's appeal. She had great comic timing, her wisecracks sizzling at their best, her looks were both sophisticated and daring and her later vulnerability was easy to be charmed by. Loved her with Clark Gable, who collaborated with her for six films, and it was clear that in her other work with 'Red Headed Woman's' director Jack Conway that he understood what her strengths were and used them to full advantage.

Evident here in 'Red Headed Woman', the film where her image and personality were properly established and continued to evolve in her later films. Is it one of Harlow's best? No. One of Conway's best? No. Does 'Red Headed Woman' do either justice? Yes it does, and as an overall film it is well worth watching providing that this is the sort of film that does anything for you. Really like to love many films from the 30s and many pre-code films are entertaining, which 'Red Headed Woman' is definitely in my view.

'Red Headed Woman' isn't perfect. The melodrama does get rather too over the top towards the end.

Chester Morris is also rather wooden in his role and doesn't have a lot of chemistry with Harlow.

Fortunately however, Harlow plays her amoral role (possibly the most amoral and least likeable character of her career) with spunk and fire. May Robson and Lewis provide distinguished veteran support, especially Stone, and Charles Boyer amuses in an early relatively small role. Harry Stephenson handles undignified situations with dignity and Leila Hyams is charming. Una Merkel is the biggest delight though, she sizzles. Conway directs with a good amount of energy while the film is stylishly photographed.

Moreover, the script is sharp and taut with some very amusing one-liners. Was amazed by its daring raciness, especially with Harlow. The story loses its way a bit in the latter stretches, but is mostly zesty with some nice tension in the character interaction. While the ending could have been a little more rounded off, it was appreciated that it was a pre-code film that didn't end too neatly or reeked of studio interference.

In a nutshell, worth a look for particularly Harlow. 7/10