La dame en rouge

Goodness, it's said, is very hard to make interesting--or even sympathetic. Not in the case of Barbara Stanwyck. When, in this movie, a petulant woman says she doesn't like Barbara's character, a man defends her, saying she is "a square shooter." That could describe Barbara in all the parts she played--even when she was a crook, she was fair to everyone.

In this case, the fairest thing she can do to most of the rich, horsey people she finds herself among is to tell them to take a long walk off a short pier, and Barbara doesn't disappoint us. The plot of this movie is just a combination of cliches (working girl rejected by society husband's family and man who will be convicted of murder unless missing witness is found), and the leading man is Gene Raymond, the male Kewpie doll, but Barbara makes it work, with her bravura honesty and energy. Genevieve Tobin also is outstanding as a socialite of breathtaking bitchiness; midway through the film Barbara tells her off, but Genevieve just brushes her off and continues her one-woman class war. (Oddly, she doesn't get her come-uppance at the end, as films of this type have led us to expect; it may be corny, but I felt really cheated when she wasn't stripped of her social status or at least pushed into a horse pond.)

Orry-Kelly contributes, as always, great gowns--but poor Barbara! Genevieve gets the glamorous creations, but Barbara's evening clothes have to make the point that she's a good girl.

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.

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.

Barbara Stanwyck married Gene Raymond. There's money and connection in both their backgrounds, but none in their pockets. She rides other people's show horses for a living, and he's a professional guest and polo player. They go into business boarding horses, which raises the hackles of the tony set, especially widowed Genevieve Tobin. The only exception is Miss Stanwyck's old friend John Eldredge, who is extravagantly considerate, and who winds up on trial for murder.

Director Robert Florey and company certainly spare no effort in making their audience despise the rich in this one, with a gobsmacked Arthur Treacher drawling his astonishment at the idea of people actually working for a living. Within those parameters, everyone gives a good performance, although I remain as always puzzled by Gene Raymond's participation; in far too many movies in the 1930s his role consisted of being blond and not tripping over the furniture. He accomplishes both here.

The result is a well done minor movie from the year, although given these rich people, why anyone should care if one of them gets shot is beyond me.

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.