Beauty for Sale (1933)

A beautiful woman lands a job at an exclusive salon that deals with the wives of wealthy businessmen. Her contact with these men leads to a series of affairs.

Director:

Richard Boleslawski

Writers:

Faith Baldwin (novel), Eve Greene,

Stars:

Madge Evans, Alice Brady, Otto Kruger

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Madge Evans	...	Letty Lawson
Alice Brady	...	Mrs. Henrietta Sherwood
Otto Kruger	...	Mr. Sherwood
Una Merkel	...	Carol Merrick
May Robson	...	Mrs. Merrick
Phillips Holmes	...	Burt Barton
Edward J. Nugent	...	Bill Merrick (as Eddie Nugent)
Hedda Hopper	...	Madame Sonia Barton
Florine McKinney	...	Jane
Isabel Jewell	...	Hortense (as Isobel Jewell)
Louise Carter	...	Mrs. Lawson
John Roche	...	Robert Abbott
Charley Grapewin	...	Freddy Gordon (as Charles Grapewin)

Storyline

A beautiful woman lands a job at an exclusive salon that deals with the wives of wealthy businessmen. Her contact with these men leads to a series of affairs.

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Plot Keywords:

jealousy | pregnancy | gold digger | mistress | engineer | 

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Taglines:

WHICH TYPE OF GIRL DO MEN MARRY? (original herald - all caps)

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Genres:

Drama | Romance

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Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

1 September 1933 (USA)

Also Known As:

Bondage of Fear

Filming Locations:

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios - 10202 W. Washington Blvd., Culver City, California, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM)

Technical Specs

Runtime:

87 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Sound System)

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Did You Know?

Quotes

[Regarding Burt, who has run out on his pregnant lover, but is the apple of his mother's eye]
Carol Merrick: Oh, well - maternal pride. I bet even a baby skunk smells like a rosebud to its mother.

User Reviews

The title tells it all.

Note that this screenplay was was written by two women based on Faith Baldwin's novel.On the surface the film seems to be all about scheming young women selling their youth and beauty to rich men. The three main female characters are positively portrayed against the rather vain, older and ridiculous customers of the beauty salon. The men are more sympathetically portrayed. The film may not be understood by today's generation who live in a different world where love, marriage, children without fathers, and the role of women is entirely different.

The script is witty and the acting,direction are excellent. Madge Evans is enticing as the lead female, Una Merkle plays the worldly wise and unabashed gold digger. Two of the supporting characters- Mrs. Sherwood, wife of Otto Kruger who is the married man with whom Madge Evans falls in love and Madge Evan's unmarried but inept boyfriend play roles that are simultaneously humorous and irritating.

After attempting to end the affair between Evans and Kruger, Evans agrees to marry her ridiculous but single suitor. We wouldn't have a happy ending if she hadn't left him at the altar.

Merkle who has managed to marry her prey, is out looking for a house with Evans and a real estate agent. They just happen to see the home built by the Sherwood's and discover that the Sherwood's are divorcing and the home is about to be sold. Evans forces the realator out of the driver's seat and makes a Nascar dash to the office, arriving just in time to stop the sale and inform Kruger that she is also available to live happily together for ever after.

I would recommend seeing this film as a window on the state of love, marriage and divorce in the thirties - as portrayed by Hollwood.