Play Girl (1941)

The fascinating Grace Herbert has many years' experience as a professional gold-digger. Her finances at a low ebb, she finds her mature beauty less effective than of yore, and takes on ... See full summary »

Director:

Frank Woodruff

Writers:

Jerome Cady (screenplay), Jerome Cady (story)

Stars:

Kay Francis, James Ellison, Mildred Coles

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Kay Francis	...	Grace Herbert
James Ellison	...	Thomas Elwood Dice
Mildred Coles	...	Ellen Daley
Nigel Bruce	...	William McDonald Vincent
Margaret Hamilton	...	Josie
Katharine Alexander	...	Mrs. Dice
G.P. Huntley	...	Van Payson (as George P. Huntley)
Kane Richmond	...	Don Shawhan
Stanley Andrews	...	Joseph Shawhan
Selmer Jackson	...	Fred Dice
Marek Windheim	...	Dr. Alonso Corivini

Storyline

The fascinating Grace Herbert has many years' experience as a professional gold-digger. Her finances at a low ebb, she finds her mature beauty less effective than of yore, and takes on impoverished 19-year-old Ellen Daley as an apprentice: "between your youth and my spirit, we can do it." The initially reluctant Ellen soon gets the hang of it. But after the cowboy she falls for proves to be a wealthy rancher, she feels an odd reluctance to mix business with pleasure...

---

Plot Keywords:

gold digger | cowboy | chicago illinois | skyscraper | maid | 

---

Genres:

Comedy | Romance

---

Certificate:

Approved

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

7 March 1941 (USA)

Company Credits

Production Co:

RKO Radio Pictures

Technical Specs

Runtime:

77 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (RCA Sound System)

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Did You Know?

Quotes

Josie: Why, she's said goodbye to more men than most women have said hello to.

---

Soundtracks

"Sonata No.14 in C#-, Op.27 No.2 (Moonlight Sonata)"
Written by Ludwig van Beethoven
Excerpt played on piano by Kay Francis
Reprised on piano by Mildred Coles

User Reviews

Kay Francis in lighter than usual romantic comedy/drama...

I've never been a huge KAY FRANCIS fan, but at least in PLAY GIRL she gets a better than average script (for a B-film), and an excellent supporting cast that is able to breathe some life into the material. And her character is sensible and mature, not to mention a bit too noble to be believable by the last reel.

She's a fashionable gold digger who decides to train a protégé to lure men into the net when her own looks become too mature. This time the prize is JAMES ELLISON, a handsome young cattle rancher who happens to fall hard for her protégé, played winsomely by MILDRED COLE.

KANE RICHMOND and NIGEL BRUCE lend valuable support in key roles and the whole story is done with flair and style that makes it pleasant entertainment. On the face of it, it's strictly minor stuff with many soap opera overtones.

Only disappointing angle is the resolution of the love affair involving Ellison and Cole with no on screen reunion provided by the script. Instead, he rushes to join the young protégé in Florida while Francis turns her attention to another man. The plot soon becomes a twisted soap opera with Francis nobly giving up the young man in favor of telling him the truth about Cole's whereabouts.

Nothing deep here, just a pleasant diversion that passes quickly and is soon forgotten. Good work by a capable cast makes it easy to watch.