Audience Rating: NR (Not Rated)
Binding: VHS Tape
EAN: 9786302041118
Format: Black & White
ISBN: 6302041112
Label: MGM (Warner)
Languages: Array
Manufacturer: MGM (Warner)
Number Of Items: 1
Publisher: MGM (Warner)
Release Date: 1998-09-01
Running Time: 79
Studio: MGM (Warner)
Theatrical Release Date: 1932-06-25

Jean Harlow was never sexier than in this pre-Hays Code comedy. With her trademark platinum hair dyed an unlikely shade of red (breaking the first of many '30s taboos), Harlow plays Lil, a girl from the wrong side of the tracks who's determined to climb the business ladder even if it means sleeping her way to the top. Harlow sets her sights on her boss, Bill (Chester Morris), and refuses to take no for an answer; the problem is, though, her boss is a married man. The shameless home wrecker uses every trick in the book to snag him until her behavior borders on what we'd call "stalking" in today's lexicon. Red-Headed Woman wavers wildly between comedy and weighty melodrama, with Harlow showing great comic flair as well as pathos in her portrayal of Lil. More significant, though, is the plot; more than a little risqué (even for modern times), this is an example of the type of film that simply couldn't be made a few years later. With marital infidelity; lots of implicit sex, violence, sadism (when Bill finally slaps Lil out of frustration, she says "Hit me again! I like it!"); and plenty of bare female flesh, this is thoroughly adult fare. Fast moving, funny, sexy, and ribald, Red-Headed Woman is a great example of the type of movie entertainment that came from Hollywood before outraged moralists and the Production Code dropped a net of censorship over the studios. --Jerry Renshaw

Customer Rating:
Summary: And she says you don't have to call her madame !!!
Comment: Red Headed Woman highlights everything the motion picture Production Code was so much against: unfortunate but everyday occurrences in real life. This movie deals with the topics of marital infidelity; home wrecking and murder attempts. Filmed in glorious black and white, Red Headed Woman remains an excellent example of pre-Code motion pictures.

Red Headed Woman tells the story of Lil, played by a red headed Jean Harlow, who comes from a rather seedy background. Lil wrecks her boss' marriage so she can have him--and his money--for herself. Lil attempts to play the same game again to get even further ahead in society but the second time around her efforts are not so successful. Lil's character can also be funny at times; this quality takes the edge off some of her ruthless behavior that could potentially offend some people.

The plot is enhanced further by some comic relief; I like the conversations between Lil and her girlfriend Sally who is played by Una Merkel. Sally remains unconvinced that Lil can always succeed at her game; but Sally is proven wrong--most of the time. Una injects comedy into the character of Sally with meaningful facial expressions and body language. May Robson is equally adept at injecting humor into her character of Aunt Jane; Robson gets some juicy lines including a brief story about how she blackmailed her own husband "for over ten years." Just as Aunt Jane is the wise and feisty older character we all secretly want to be when we get to our golden years; Lil represents the extremes of personal greed that too many of us display today. Aunt Jane and Lil are tough women!

If this movie were filmed after The Production Code was already in full effect, Lil would have to pay dearly for her home wrecking and other instances of her "misconduct." However, when Red Headed Woman was filmed the times still allowed for a very different ending. The ending gives you quite a kick especially with the very last shot in the picture. Excellent!

The quality of the sound is excellent; and the shades of black and white stun you as you watch this film. The characters give convincing roles and the dialogue reflects much forethought.

I highly recommend this film for pre-Production Code movie fans. Jean Harlow fans will treasure this movie.

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Customer Rating:
Summary: We were so much older then, we're younger than that now.
Comment: I too mourn for the creative genius lost as a result of the Hayes censorship codes. Red Headed Women is a perfect example of what we could see (if we so desired). Sexuality, lust, infidelity, sadism & violence in a damn good story. After the codes you had to go to the Bible to get action like that. Jean Harlow was hot in this movie & along with Red Dust, showed her raw talent, though admittedly she was pretty good later, also. Red Headed Women has stood up pretty well. I think we all lost when the government decided to treat its citizens like naughty children.

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Customer Rating:
Summary: Jean Harlow at her best!!!
Comment: I could not disagree more with the reviewers who claim Harlow is not the real "dish" in this risque (at the time) pre-code comedy. This was the first film Harlow made after Howard Hughes sold her contract to MGM for $30,000 (Hughes would later claim $60,000), and this is the vehicle (along with "Red Dust")which catapulted her to superstardom. She would ultimately become one of the best loved screen stars of all time. There are reasons why some personalities remain character actors and others become superstars and "shine." Harlow simply embodied all of the sexual thrust of her era - a shapely, firey, wise-cracking, witty siren who gives as well as she gets - It simply oozes through her eyes and body language. For any viewer willing to be objective, it is really easy to see why Harlow continues to be admired across generations from the likes of Marilyn Monroe and Jayne Mansfield (1950's), Madonna (1980's), Sharon Stone (1990's) and pop star Gwen Stefani (21st century). She was the first bonafide sex symbol of the sound era. It should also be noted that Harlow was a shy, quiet girl in real life, and bore little in common with the sexpots she often portrayed onscreen early in her career.

This story was written by Anita Loos who also penned "Gentlemen Prefer Blondes," and Loos had reservations about MGM casting the "platinum blonde" as a red-head. Loos had said: "She looked about sixteen, and her baby face seemed utterly incongruous against the flaming wig." Loos knew that an unwitting beauty would make ideal comic material, and that Harlow could convey this onscreen. She succeeded, and Red Headed Woman was a huge success. It should be noted that this film couldn't have been made after 1934 due to the arrival of the Hays movie code. The DVD of this title is due later in 2006 along with a Harlow boxset from Warner, so those of you having trouble finding a copy on vhs, may want to be patient. However, TCM does show this every now and then. This film is still very enjoyable over seventy years later, and many I have shown this too are shocked that such brazen, predatory, sexuality was displayed in a film of this period. "Red Headed Woman" receives my highest recommendation, and is definitely a must see for those interested in pre-code Hollywood or the vehicle that made Harlow a star....which still shines some 70 years after her death.

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Customer Rating:
Summary: Good Depression Era Story
Comment: I am in total agreement with reviewer ixta coyotl, about Leila Hyams. I asked myself how Chester Morris's character could prefer Harlow over her. I often find the less remembered actresses of the studio days to have more sex appeal for me than do the super stars of that era. Hyams is one of them. Another who comes to mind is Madge Evans. If you like the look and feel of the early 1930s movies, this is highly recommended.

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Customer Rating:
Summary: Pre Code Landmark: Perhaps Jean Harlow's Raciest Performance
Comment: This is another good title from the Forbidden Hollywood collection or pre-Hays Code early talkie films, long overdue for a DVD set release. Of course, as an early talkie the plot is stagy and the acting is weak, but if you are interested in cinema this era is full of films that are fascinating to behold: not only were filmmakers still trying to grapple with the new medium of sound, but the environment before the Hays Code permitted and even encouraged racy scenes and topics which were constantly pushing the limits of social acceptability.

I have to admit that I am not very fond of Jean Harlot: I don't think she was so attractive, she was not a good actress, and finally she just lacked that je ne sais quoi (class?) that someone like Marlene Dietrich oozed so naturally. Thus for someone like Jean, sleaze was her most reasonable avenue to success (can you say Sharon Stone?), and in Red-Headed Woman she lays it on like cheap perfume in a French whorehouse. Despite this, I still found the film sort of boring, kind of like a sloppy rehashing of Pandora's Box (1929) with The Divorcee (1930), even using the same husband from the latter film (Chester Morris). Finally, I couldn't help noticing how a prettier woman, Leila Hyams, completely outclassed Harlow in this film, just as Loretta Young did in Platinum Blonde. I know, it's just a film persona (sort of), but it seemed to me she was also eclipsed by the quality of those women's acting and screen presence.

My recommendation: Definitely check this out if you are interested in Jean Harlow or early sound cinema, it is one of the most overtly promiscuous of pre code films. However I think I preferred Harlow in Red Dust (1932), as she gives a performance that is nearly as sensual (you can almost feel it when she gets slapped on the behind by Clark Gable) but the story flows better and has a better surrounding cast (despite some serious politically correct story issues).

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