After watching "Female" (1933) I said that it was the most sexist movie I've ever watched. I still stand by that, however "Professional Sweetheart" is not too far behind.
The movie stars Ginger Rogers as Glory Eden. She's "the purity girl," a moniker she assumed as spokesperson for Ippsie Wippsie Wash Cloths, a company owned by Samuel Ipswich (Gregory Ratoff).
Because she was "the purity girl," she had to maintain a squeaky clean public image. Therefore her contract prevented her from smoking, drinking, swearing, going to speakeasies, wearing make-up, perfume, or provocative clothing. It was a very restrictive contract she had to abide by in order to continue to get paid by Ippsie Wippsie Wash Cloths.
Even though her contract was very restrictive, the movie made it clear that they needed her more than she needed them. Evidently, and very doubtfully, there wasn't another girl in New York who could fill Glory's shoes as "the purity girl."
While the film painted the Ippsie Wippsie Wash Cloths Co., or the corporation, as possessive and controlling thereby making Glory a sympathetic figure, they offset that by making Glory a sin-seeking imp. She wanted everything they denied her. She wanted to smoke, drink, GO TO HARLEM.
GASP! What? No! Not go to Harlem!
Yes, Harlem, and she also wanted to "go to the devil," which might have been synonymous with "go to Harlem." But most of all, she wanted a man. Naturally. She was a woman in a 1930's film, she had to want a man. And the issue I had with it wasn't that she wanted a man-- everyone desires companionship. She wanted a man in the worst way, even if that meant getting "into trouble" which was code for getting knocked up. She was so desperate for a man that just about any warm body would've been good. "Professional Sweetheart" was sending a clear foreshadow that a man would cure her of her hedonistic desires.
As to her last request, the corporation was willing to comply. They could sell it as young innocent romance; they needed to only find the right man for the position. They put their heads together, with Speed Dennis (Frank McHugh) being the most creative, and they decided that she should have a "pure anglo-saxon." Where do the purest anglo-saxons come from?
Kentucky.
Well I'll be. I never knew that Kentucky was home to WASPs and there is where you could find the purest of them. I knew there was a reason I never desired to visit there.
They got a stack of fan mail and drew Jim Davey's (Norman Foster) letter and picture from the lot. Apparently, back then young men sent love letters and pictures of themselves to product spokeswomen.
Glory was taken by his picture the moment she laid eyes on it. He would be the man to take her to Harlem and take her to the devil.
The company was doing what they could for Glory in hopes that she'd sign a new contract. Up until this point she hadn't signed primarily because of the morality clauses. What's strange though is that she continued to obey the corporation even though it seemed quite obvious she wasn't under contractual obligation to them. She let them pick out her "man" and stranger still, she married him. Who gets married to a guy at the behest of the company they work for?
Jim was more than happy to marry Glory because the country bumpkin thought he was marrying "the purity girl." He was too naive to know that her on-air persona wasn't necessarily her real persona. He was also too naive to know that he was being taken for a ride by the corporation. The entire thing was their setup and design, but he thought it was all the real thing.
When he was wisened to what was really happening he was understandably upset. To retaliate he took his new wife with him to Kentucky. Nevermind how he got her there when she thought she was going to Atlantic City. She wasn't too bright.
Once he got her to his home in Kentucky all the sexism came out and it was strong.
She said she was going to complain that she was kidnapped. "I didn't kidnap you, you're my wife," he responded. And with that response she was quiet, because she knew full well that he had control of her now that they were married. She essentially replaced the corporation with a husband. She replaced several men with one man.
Jim began telling her what she was going to be doing. She was going to learn to cook, clean, and live the simple life "the purity girl spoke of." Glory naturally objected to everything Jim was saying. In fact, she was defiant. What was Jim's response?
He quite literally put her over his knee and began spanking her. Oh, the cringe.
She did bite him to get free which was a plus. She began throwing things at him to show her displeasure so Jim escalated the violence. He knocked her out cold.
At this point I'm thinking she is going to leave him even if it means walking back to New York in her underwear. I couldn't have been more wrong.
When Jim realized his mistake he went to fetch a pail of water to wake Glory up. He was extremely apologetic. "She's wicked, but I love her," was his cry as he kneeled over her unconscious body.
As he went to get the water Glory lifted her head, quite alertly, quickly patted her hair to make sure it was neat, then pretended to be unconscious again. Why, you may ask? So that her big, strong husband could carry her to bed. Yes. It seems that all she needed was a good sock in the jaw and then she was as right as rain.
By this point I was beside myself in disbelief. Was this really the message Hollywood was sending? Every loose woman needs to be roughed up by a moralistic man in order for her to be straightened out?
And wouldn't you know that only a few scenes later we see Glory in a housewife's uniform serving homemade pie to her guest. It was disgusting.
I won't go into the not-so-subtle racist slants of the movie that preceded and continued when Glory's former maid, Vera (Theresa Harris), sang on the radio as the new "purity girl" and how her singing was said to cause people to want to sin. Not only was this movie sexist and racist, they didn't even know good singing when they heard it either.
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