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Lady with a Past

  • 1932
  • Passed
  • 1h 20m
IMDb RATING
6.1/10
458
YOUR RATING
Constance Bennett and Ben Lyon in Lady with a Past (1932)
Feel-Good RomanceComedyDramaRomance

A wealthy, proper society girl finds that she's much more popular with men when she pretends to be a "bad" girl.A wealthy, proper society girl finds that she's much more popular with men when she pretends to be a "bad" girl.A wealthy, proper society girl finds that she's much more popular with men when she pretends to be a "bad" girl.

  • Director
    • Edward H. Griffith
  • Writers
    • Harriet Henry
    • Horace Jackson
  • Stars
    • Constance Bennett
    • Ben Lyon
    • David Manners
  • See production info at IMDbPro
  • IMDb RATING
    6.1/10
    458
    YOUR RATING
    • Director
      • Edward H. Griffith
    • Writers
      • Harriet Henry
      • Horace Jackson
    • Stars
      • Constance Bennett
      • Ben Lyon
      • David Manners
    • 17User reviews
    • 2Critic reviews
  • See production info at IMDbPro
  • See production info at IMDbPro
    • Awards
      • 2 wins total

    Photos37

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    Top cast31

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    Constance Bennett
    Constance Bennett
    • Venice Muir
    Ben Lyon
    Ben Lyon
    • Guy Bryson
    David Manners
    David Manners
    • Donnie Wainwright
    Don Alvarado
    Don Alvarado
    • Carlos Santiagos
    Albert Conti
    Albert Conti
    • Rene
    Merna Kennedy
    Merna Kennedy
    • Ann Duryea
    Astrid Allwyn
    Astrid Allwyn
    • Lola
    Don Dillaway
    Don Dillaway
    • Jerry
    • (as Donald Dillaway)
    Blanche Friderici
    Blanche Friderici
    • Nora
    • (as Blanche Frederici)
    John Roche
    John Roche
    • Carl
    Cornelius Keefe
    Cornelius Keefe
    • Spaulding
    Nella Walker
    Nella Walker
    • Aunt Emma
    William Begg
    William Begg
    • Bill DuVal
    • (uncredited)
    Florence Britton
    Florence Britton
    • Rene's Lover
    • (uncredited)
    Sheila Bromley
    Sheila Bromley
    • Party Guest
    • (uncredited)
    Bruce Cabot
    Bruce Cabot
    • Party Guest
    • (uncredited)
    Mathilde Comont
    Mathilde Comont
    • Waitress
    • (uncredited)
    Thomas A. Curran
    • Undetermined Supporting Role
    • (uncredited)
    • Director
      • Edward H. Griffith
    • Writers
      • Harriet Henry
      • Horace Jackson
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

    User reviews17

    6.1458
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    Featured reviews

    ArtVandelayImporterExporter

    Preposterous

    A woman as beautiful, rich and well-read as Constance Bennett's character can't get any men to pay attention to her???

    If true, she should have dumped her social circle and found a new one.

    From the audience's perspective, who was sitting around in The Depression, eating soup made of unwashed socks, thinking, ''What I really want to see this Saturday for my 5c is a rich, beautiful, smart woman mope around because the dopey men around her don't appreciate her charms."

    And then to escape to Paris to work up a reputation as a sk2nk?

    Puh-lease.

    It's insidious garbage like this that taught a generation or more of smart women to hide their brains and flaunt their inner floozy to attract a worthless man.

    Now THAT'S depressing.
    5hotangen

    Bennett and Ben spin gold out of straw

    Audiences of 1932 must have been surprised to see la Bennett play an unassertive society girl who wants to be married, but who, despite her stunning looks and pots of money, is shunned by the bachelors. Although sister Joan would have been more believable in the role of Miss Unpopularity, the story gets interesting when our tongue-tied caterpillar goes to Paris and is transformed by fun loving Ben Lyon into a social butterfly with a half dozen suitors fluttering around her, including the shallow boy from back home. And now that she can pick and choose, who do you think she ends up with at the finale? No matter. This is a pleasant little film and it's fun to watch Bennett sip champagne cocktails and flirt with fortune hunters in one stunning costume after another. No wonder her fans loved her.
    5timothymcclenaghan

    Only for die-hard Constance Bennett fans

    In a recent biography of the Bennetts, the author implied that Constance Bennett was in movies only for the money with which to lead a luxurious lifestyle. However, her work in this film would make one believe that she really could act.

    In this film, the usually glamorous Bennett convinces you that she is a wallflower, despite looking just as attractive as ever. Perhaps it's the way she carries her body, or the inflection in her voice.

    The film may have been fresh in its day, but now seems trite and contrived. Nevertheless, if you're a Constance Bennett fan, you'll enjoy this film.
    drednm

    Gorgeous Constance Bennett, Breezy Ben Lyon

    What a surprising delight this film is. Constance Bennett plays a rich wallflower who just can't get the guys in her set interested. She's also has a crush on boozy and shallow David Manners. One night when he is drunk he asks her to marry him and meet him on a boat to Europe the next morning. Of course he sobers up, and she ends up going alone.

    In Paris Bennett meets a charming and broke guy (Ben Lyon)whom she hires as her "gigolo" so that he can show her around and meet people. Lyon hits on the idea of making up stories about her "past" so that men will be interested. They get along great and their plan is wildly successful until a surprising event occurs.

    Bennett is quite good underplaying her sympathetic role. Lyon is terrific as the cynical but honest guy. Manners is also good as the callous boozer. Cast also includes Nella Walker, Albert Conti, Astrid Allwyn, Don Alvarado, Blanche Frederici, Bruce Cabot, and Merna Kennedy.

    The ending is quite a surprise.
    6blanche-2

    cute but the premise is hard to buy

    In order to find this film believable, you have to buy the premise that Constance Bennett, one of the most beautiful and glamorous Hollywood stars ever, is unattractive to men. Does her character, Venice Muir (her parents honeymooned in Venice) wear glasses, frumpy clothes, have dull hair? Uh, no, she looks like Constance Bennett, it's just that she's playing an intelligent woman who likes to read. Meanwhile, the woman who may have poisoned her husband gets all the attention at parties.

    One night, while roaring drunk, a man with whom Venice is in love, Donnie Wainwright (David Manners), proposes and wants her to sail with him to France to be married. The next day, he's sober. So Venice travels alone.

    In Paris, she meets a man Buy (Ben Lyons) whom she hires as a gigolo to bring her to parties and get her into the right circles so that she can meet someone. He has the idea that if he creates a "past" for her, she will be more exciting to men.

    This is a nice film, but I didn't believe it for a second. Venice has intelligence, money, glamor, beauty, and guys want to date a woman who might have killed her husband? If it had been another actress, someone like Anna Lee, Sylvia Sidney, good-looking but perhaps not a knockout, it would have been more realistic.

    For Constance Bennett fans. She is always a joy, and the performances are good, particularly from Ben Lyons.

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    Related interests

    Omar Epps and Sanaa Lathan in Love & Basketball (2000)
    Feel-Good Romance
    Will Ferrell in Présentateur vedette: La légende de Ron Burgundy (2004)
    Comedy
    Mahershala Ali and Alex R. Hibbert in Moonlight (2016)
    Drama
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    Romance

    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      Was about to start filming with rising star Robert Williams in the role of Guy when Williams died from a sudden attack of appendicitis and peritonitis. Ben Lyon replaced him in the role.
    • Goofs
      (at around 9 mins) Venice mentions to Donnie that her drink is strong. When he offers to taste it, she hands him a glass that has less liquid than when it cuts to him tasting the cocktail.
    • Quotes

      Guy Bryson: You look like a ... good girl.

      Venice Muir: Oh, do I?

      Guy Bryson: You are a good girl, aren't you?

      Venice Muir: Yes, I'm afraid that may be my trouble.

    • Soundtracks
      You're Driving Me Crazy
      (1930) (uncredited)

      Written by Walter Donaldson

      Played as dance music at Lola's partry

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    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • February 19, 1932 (United States)
    • Country of origin
      • United States
    • Languages
      • English
      • French
      • Spanish
    • Also known as
      • Una mujer con pasado
    • Filming locations
      • RKO-Pathé Studios - 9336 Washington Blvd., Culver City, California, USA(Studio)
    • Production company
      • RKO Pathé Pictures
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Box office

    Edit
    • Budget
      • $541,075 (estimated)
    See detailed box office info on IMDbPro

    Tech specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      • 1h 20m(80 min)
    • Color
      • Black and White
    • Aspect ratio
      • 1.37 : 1

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