Female (1933)

Alison Drake, the tough-minded executive of an automobile factory, succeeds in the man's world of business until she meets an independent design engineer.

Director:

Michael Curtiz

Writers:

Gene Markey (screen play), Kathryn Scola (screen play),

Stars:

Ruth Chatterton, George Brent, Lois Wilson

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Ruth Chatterton	...	Alison Drake
George Brent	...	Jim Thorne
Lois Wilson	...	Harriet
Johnny Mack Brown	...	Cooper
Ruth Donnelly	...	Miss Frothingham
Ferdinand Gottschalk	...	Pettigrew
Phillip Reed	...	Freddie Claybourne
Gavin Gordon	...	Briggs
Kenneth Thomson	...	Red
Huey White	...	Puggy
Douglass Dumbrille	...	George Mumford (as Douglas Dumbrille)
Spencer Charters	...	Tom

Storyline

Alison is owner and successful manager of an automobile factory. She also has a good relation to her employees - especially the male ones, which she is known to invite to her bed for some time and then dump quickly. Only the inventor Jim Thorne refuses her offers - will she fire or marry him?

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Plot Keywords:

automobile factory | factory | engineer | sexual equality | seduction | 

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Genres:

Comedy | Drama | Romance

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Certificate:

Unrated

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

11 November 1933 (USA)

Also Known As:

Der Boß ist eine schöne Frau

Filming Locations:

Ennis-Brown House - 2655 Glendower Avenue, Los Feliz, Los Angeles, California, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$286,000 (estimated)

Company Credits

Production Co:

First National Pictures

Technical Specs

Runtime:

60 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

William A. Wellman replaced the original director, William Dieterle, when Dieterle became ill. Michael Curtiz took over as director when Wellman had to start directing College Coach.

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Goofs

Approx 4 minutes in: (While Alison is talking with Harrier Brown) The placement of the crane, and the puffs of dark smoke outside the window change abruptly; it is obvious that the filming was not done in a continuous take.

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Quotes

Della, Alison's Maid: Lemon or cream, Madame?
Harriet Brown: Cream and two sugars, please.
Alison Drake: Cream and two sugars? My, you're a reckless woman! No wonder you look so happy.

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Connections

Featured in Complicated Women (2003)

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Soundtracks

"Shuffle Off to Buffalo"
(1932) (uncredited)
Music by Harry Warren
Lyrics by Al Dubin
Sung briefly by Rafaela Ottiano

User Reviews

Amazing performances, modern plot, fast and beautiful.

Female (1933)

Smart, fast, witty, daring, fresh, impressive. A great little movie (just an hour long) with such a swirling series of events, and such great acting, you hardly know it's over. The filming is really tight and modern, the writing is sharp, and the leading role, the sexually liberated executive woman played by Ruth Chatterton, is spot on perfect. When George Brent appears (after half an hour), he matches her in a subtle, convincing performance that shows why, after having made twenty films already, he still had his career ahead of him. Chatterton, by contrast, made few films later, which is our loss.

The astonishing thing about the plot, of course, is how racy it is. Even today, with no holds barred (just some letters in a rating system), to have a leading woman sleep around with every handsome young man she wants, without any down side (no backstabbing, no violence, no disease, no remorse, nothing at all) is bold. These days, of course, she'd be a poster child against sexual harassment on the workplace.

But really the movie is about strength, and romance, and is remarkably modern and alive. The director is Michael Curtiz, who made such a huge number of films some of the gems like this one get lost. Some of his other gems, of course, are not lost at all (like, uh, Casablanca or Mildred Pierce). Give this its due. Worth every frame.