The Woman in Red

Woman in Red, The (1935)

** (out of 4)

A horse jokey (Barbara Stanwyck) and a polo player (Gene Raymond) both make their living off of a rich woman (Genevieve Tobin) but when Stanwyck and Raymond elope it doesn't sit too well with Tobin. Soon Tobin shows up to try and steal the man since the new couple are quickly going broke. This is yet another quickie from Warner that lasts only 66-minutes but it feels much longer due to the screenplay being routine and the performances less than good. The love triangle has been done countless times but so has the going broke and looking for the rich woman routine. This film is unoriginal from start to finish and that's what eventually kills the film. Stanwyck sleepwalks through here role, which isn't the norm for her. Raymond gets credit for being one of the worst leading man I've seen from this period as he turns in a super dull performance. Tobin adds a little life to the film but she can't do much with the way her role is written. Edward Van Sloan has a brief cameo and is listed as "Ed" in the credits.

Shelby Barret (Barbara Stanwyck) is an equestrian working for wealthy widow Mrs. Nicholas (Genevieve Tobin). She calls her Nicko. Nicko introduces her friend Johnny Wyatt (Gene Raymond) to Shelby. He comes from an uppercrust family which has fallen on hard times. Rich playboy Gene Fairchild (John Eldredge) sets his sights on Shelby. When Johnny and Shelby get together, a jealous Nicko fires Shelby.

A better way to do this story is to turn it into a murder mystery. As it stands, the story meanders around and the characters go in and out. The point is to get to the court case. There is some interesting class and moral construction in that part. That's the most interesting section of the movie and only comes out for the last ten minutes.

The movie seems right out of the class-conscious 30's. Stanwyck's Shelby is a very competent show-horse rider for wealthy woman Nicko (Tobin). But when Shelby marries Johnny (Raymond) a jealous Nicko fires her. Trouble is Johnny's wealthy but now destitute family continues their snobbish airs and duly snub Shelby. Good thing the wealthy Gene (Eldridge) puts aside his love for Shelby and comes to the newly weds aid in setting up a business. But then, there's a fateful yacht party and things come to a head.

Stanwyck finally gets to show some fire near the end. Otherwise her role is fairly subdued and not one of her more memorable. It doesn't help that Raymond comes across as pretty bland and not a good match for Stanwyck. In my book, the highlight comes when an angry Shelby drops pretenses and denounces the assembled snobs. I sense that anxious 30's audiences were right up there with her. Then too, Warner's was the studio of record for that gritty period. Nonetheless, the settings are almost all gilded upper crust, and a long way from Cagney's shabby urban slums.

All in all, the parts fail to gel into any real impact, despite the dramatic elements. I suspect much of that is due to pedestrian direction (Florey) and Raymond's rather insipid performance. The latter's certainly capable of much better as his commanding role in the riveting Plunder Road (1957) shows. Too bad something like that didn't happen here.

The Woman In Red is a great example of a film that Barbara Stanwyck raises in quality just being in it. She plays a show horse rider who falls for a society polo player despite Genevieve Tobin who keeps him to ride her horses and give her an occasional ride as this Code controlled picture ever so gently implies. When she loses her blond Adonis Gene Raymond, Tobin becomes the wicked witch of the west.

More good natured about losing Barbara is newly rich John Eldredge a recent arrival in the horsey set. But since his ancestry doesn't go back to the Mayflower they drink his liquor and sneer behind his back. Barbara don't miss a thing though. Eldredge has his own problems a perpetually drunk actress Dorothy Tree that he was previously seeing. When Tobin falls from Eldredge's yacht while Stanwyck is on it all the relationships are learned in a coroner's inquest. And the gossip ain't pretty.

Tobin and Tree have some really meaty roles, but Barbara still dominates this film. She really pulls it all out when tells off her in-laws what a stinking hateful bunch they are.

Raymond is bland as a polo playing hunk. His family is part of the horsey set, but have fallen on poverty and live on their gilded name. Raymond is doing the polo thing to keep them in martinis. Eldredge is in a change of pace, he's usually playing rogues on film at this time. It's not often one sees him playing a decent guy.

Reportedly Stanwyck didn't think much of the film, but I think The Woman In Red is her really elevating an average film with her performance. Bette Davis could do that also, very few others.

Barbara Stanwyck is "The Woman in Red" in this 1935 film also starring Gene Raymond, Genevieve Tobin, and John Eldredge.

Stanwyck plays Shelby Barrett, who rides horses in shows for the wealthy Mrs. Nicholas (Genevieve Tobin). In this capacity, she meets Johnny Wyatt (Raymond), who also rides for Mrs. Nicholas, though he comes from an old money family. However, they've fallen on hard times. Mrs. Nicholas aka Nicko is sweet on him. But Johnny only has eyes for Shelby, and the two marry. Shelby leaves the employ of the bitter Mrs. Nicholas.

When they meet Johnny's family on Long Island, Shelby is not welcomed by them, and when Johnny and Shelby decide to go into business for themselves working with other people's horses, they really become aggravated. When they're short money, Shelby borrows from a wealthy friend, Fairchild (Eldredge) but doesn't want Johnny to know. This leads to complications when Nicko spreads gossip and Fairchild asks for an innocent favor himself that turns deadly. This puts Shelby in an untenable position.

Stanwyck is lovely and a very strong actress, and I agree with one poster here who says she makes it work, as would have Bette Davis or another leading lady with some backbone. The film is somewhat boring, in part thanks to the bland Gene Raymond, and nothing really happens until the end of the film.

Nevertheless, Stanwyck is always worth it.