Complicated Women (TV 2003)

A look at actresses who starred in films with thought-provoking subjects made between 1929-1934 - before the Hollywood Production Code was enforced.

Director:

Hugh Munro Neely

Writers:

Mick LaSalle (based on the book by), Hugh Munro Neely,

Stars:

Jane Fonda, Frances Dee, Kitty Carlisle

Cast

Credited cast:
Jane Fonda	...	Herself - Narrator (voice)
Frances Dee	...	Herself
Kitty Carlisle	...	Herself - Interviewee (as Kitty Carlisle Hart)
Molly Haskell	...	Herself - Interviewee
Mick LaSalle	...	Himself - Interviewee
Mae Madison	...	Herself - Interviewee
Karen Morley	...	Herself - Interviewee
Mark Vieira	...	Himself - Interviewee
Rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Fred Astaire	...	Himself (archive footage)
Robert Barrat	...	Himself (archive footage)
John Barrymore	...	Himself (archive footage)
Lionel Barrymore	...	Himself (archive footage)
Wallace Beery	...	Himself (archive footage)
Charles Bickford	...	Himself (archive footage)
Virginia Bruce	...	Herself (archive footage)

Storyline

Jane Fonda narrates the story of the years between the ascent of talkies until late in 1934, when the Hays Office cracked down on what it perceived as immorality in Hollywood movies. The emphasis is on how women were portrayed, and focuses on how they were much more liberated and equal (or superior) to men, until 1935 when they once again took subservient roles to their male co-stars.

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Plot Keywords:

actress | film making | voice over narration | hollywood history | censorship | 

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Genres:

Documentary

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Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

6 May 2003 (USA)

Also Known As:

Mujeres liberadas

Filming Locations:

New York City, New York, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Timeline Films

Technical Specs

Runtime:

55 min

Color:

Black and White Color

Did You Know?

Connections

Features Blonde Venus (1932)

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Soundtracks

"Shadow Waltz"
Written by Harry Warren (music) and Al Dubin (lyrics)
Used by permission of Warner/Chappell Music

User Reviews

All the Shock of the Era

Complicated Women is the documentary companion to Mick LaSalle's book about women in the pre-code era. The time from the first talkies through to the enforcement of the Production Code is known as the pre-code era, a great time for movie making. Subjects ranging from marital infidelity, prostitution, abortion, nudity, drug use, and other shocking subjects littered films. The public either loved them or hated them, and thanks to groups like the Catholic Legion of Decency, these subjects were censored. However, this documentary praises these films for their modernity and shows clips from films like The Divorcée, Queen Christina, Downstairs, Torch Singer, Mary Stevens MD, The Smiling Lieutenant, Men in White, Female, A Free Soul, Baby Face, Midnight Mary, The Story of Temple Drake, Red Dust, Faithless, Grand Hotel, Gold Diggers of 1933, Ladies They Talk About, I'm No Angel, Tarzan and His Mate, and more.

The only problem with this documentary is that it skips around a lot. There are headers for each section, but they all begin to blend together.

The film incorporates interviews with many great sources like Mick LaSalle, Molly Haskell, Mark Viera, and several actresses of the era.