Tre maniere d'amare

Jean Harlow had top billing and gave a good performance in this one, playing a small-town girl who goes to New York to seek her fortune. I found it refreshing to see her in a more virtuous role; she not only shows her range, but her character is strong, and stands up for herself when hit on by men. At the same time, her magnetism and sex appeal shine through, helped along by some modeling and pre-Code lingerie scenes. She finds out the rich guy she's been seeing is married and wants to end it, particularly after having seen what a similar situation has done to her friend, played well by Mae Clark (who you might remember as having been with Harlow the previous year in 'The Public Enemy', and getting a grapefruit stuffed in her face by James Cagney). The last of the 'wise girls' is Marie Prevost in the role of her roommate, who points out the flipside, hey, it's nice to eat something other than liverwurst by seeing a guy with some money, and breaks off a few other funny lines in the film. The movie is quite brisk at 68 minutes, maybe too brisk in a couple of ways (such as Mae Clark's fate), but it's worth watching, particularly if you're a Harlow fan.

Jean Harlow plays a nice girl who is not willing to sell herself to get ahead. When her bosses try to sexually harass her, she quits--she's just not that sort of girl. So, in light of this, it's surprising when she meets and dates a nice guy--only to discover that he's already married and his estranged wife won't give him a divorce. At the same time, Harlow's friend (Mae Clark) is in a similar situation but her married boyfriend is less than honorable.

The idea of a girl dating a married man is something you just wouldn't have seen two years later--after the Production Code was strengthened and eliminated plot elements such as adultery, premarital sex or extreme violence (among others). However, despite the film trying to justify Harlow's dating a married man, the film is not nearly as salacious as some of the more notorious Pre-Code films, such as Harlow's RED-HEADED WOMAN--a film you just need to see to believe.

Overall, this is a pretty good little film despite the less than stellar and inconsistent message about morality that the film delivers. Good acting, a decent story and enough twists and turns to keep it interesting make this a good Pre-Code film.

By the way, the other "wise girl" is Marie Prevost who was included mostly for comic relief. Also, if you really care, Chillocothe is a small town in rural southern Ohio. It's best known today as a town with prisons!

Is Three Wise Girls a high point of spectacular American cinema? No, but that's not was I was expecting. I was expecting an entertaining movie and that's exactly what I got.

I'm a huge Jean Harlow fan and was so excited to see a new (to me) movie of hers. I was not disappointed. While I don't think she sparkled on screen like she did in her later films, she gave a solid and completely believable performance.

The plot was predictable, but well executed. I thought the character development was a bit thin, but that's to be expected from a movie that clocks in at just over one hour. (I actually love the short running times of some classic movies: that means you can watch more of them in an evening.)

Three Wise Girls tells a story that's been told many times (small town girl moves to the city and has a rough time), but it tells the story well. And, most importantly, it tells the story with Jean Harlow.

In her last film before she signed her MGM contract, Jean Harlow starred in Three Wise Girls along with Mae Clarke and Marie Prevost for Columbia. If this sounds familiar Warner Brothers was also doing Three On A Match around the same time and it had some similar plot elements.

While Prevost seems to have a really good deal working at home sending out letters with advertisements for various companies both Harlow and Clarke get themselves involved with married men, for one of them it turns out really bad. Prevost seems to have the right idea.

Playing opposite Harlow is Walter Byron who had a run of minor popularity in silent films, but whose career gradually petered out in sound films. He sounds like George Brent in his speech pattern and voice, but looks like Charley Chase. I'm betting that's why he didn't succeed in sound.

This film was filled with tragedy with both Harlow and Prevost dying way too young within six years. Three Wise Girls is far from the best work of these fatally star crossed actresses.

Three Wise Girls (1932)

** 1/2 (out of 4)

Jean Harlow plays the good girl who moves from a small town to New York City to make some big cash to help give her mom a better life. Once in the big city she quits three jobs because the bosses keep wanting more than just work. She meets an old friend (Mae Clarke) and is disgusted to learn that she is dated a married man. Soon Harlow meets a man (Walter Byron) of her own but after falling in love she finds out that he too is married. This is a rather strange Pre-Code from Columbia that pretty much tries to explain why it's okay to date married men. This topic certainly wouldn't be made into movies within the next couple years as the Hayes Office would put their foot down on any type of subject like this one. What makes the film work are the performances, which are pretty good with Harlow stealing the film as the naive blonde who doesn't really know what all life has to offer. Harlow is quite believable as the innocent, sweet girl and it shows she could play more than just vamps. Byron is also quite good as the poor sap stuck in a worthless marriage. He brings quite a bit of charm to the role and makes for a very like able character. Clarke is decent but pretty much wasted in the supporting role as is Marie Prevost as the "third" girl. Andy Devine is also wasted in a small supporting role, although he manages to get a couple nice laughs. The sexual innuendo is certainly on display her certainly early on as Harlow is undressing and constantly bending down with a rather loose top on. The film is certainly very predictable but director One Shot keeps things moving at a nice pace. The ending is one you'll see from a mile away but it's handled very well.