When a grifter (Clark Gable) meets a fellow con artist (Jean Harlow), sparks fly! But when they attempt to blackmail one of her married lovers, everything goes wrong and she ends up in prison. There are pleasures to be had in basking in the glow of genuine movie stars like Gable and Harlow. It's such sheer gratification just to watch them play off each other that it almost seems rude to ask for more ... like a great script. But the best thing about the film is the lengthy prison sequence which leaves Gable out of the picture for awhile. Since this is a pre code film, we get a gritty look at a diverse assortment of female inmates (both ethnically and socially): a radical leftist (Barbara Barondess), a drunk (Dorothy Burgess), a black preacher's daughter (Theresa Harris) among others. The subplot with Harris who has been turned in for theft by her preacher father (George Reed) is notable for its portrayal of its African-American characters by giving them some substance and dignity rather than the usual stereotyping. Directed by Sam Wood (who is inexplicably not credited). With Stuart Erwin as the good hearted chump hopelessly in love with Harlow, Elizabeth Patterson, Louise Beavers, Inez Courtney and Garry Owen.
No comments:
Post a Comment