Marked Woman (1937)

A crusading DA persuades a clip joint "party girl" to testify against her mobster boss after her innocent sister is accidentally murdered during one of his unsavory "parties".

Directors:

Lloyd Bacon, Michael Curtiz (uncredited)

Writers:

Robert Rossen (original screen play), Abem Finkel (original screen play)

Stars:

Bette Davis, Humphrey Bogart, Lola Lane

1 win & 1 nomination.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Bette Davis	...	Mary Dwight Strauber
Humphrey Bogart	...	David Graham
Lola Lane	...	Dorothy 'Gabby' Marvin
Isabel Jewell	...	Emmy Lou Eagan
Rosalind Marquis	...	Florrie Liggett
Mayo Methot	...	Estelle Porter
Jane Bryan	...	Betty Strauber
Allen Jenkins	...	Louie
Eduardo Ciannelli	...	Johnny Vanning
John Litel	...	Gordon
Ben Welden	...	Charlie Delaney
Damian O'Flynn	...	Ralph Krawford
Henry O'Neill	...	District Attorney Arthur Sheldon
Raymond Hatton	...	Vanning's Lawyer
Carlos San Martín	...	Head Waiter

Storyline

In this roman-a-clef for the infamous Lucky Luciano Trial, Mary Dwight and four roommates work as hostesses at the Club Intime, a "clip joint" that offers gambling, liquor, and female companionship to the "big spender" clientèle. When ruthless thug and pimp Johnny Vanning takes over all the clubs in town, the girls are forced to follow Vanning's rules and kick back on their "tips" in exchange for protection. Although she is not a hardened old hand like Gabby and Estella, Mary knows enough to sidestep Vanning's amorous advances. Unfortunately the more naive Mary Lou is impressed by Vanning's oily veneer of materialism and accepts invitations to "entertain" at the gangster's private parties. Mary's naive younger sister Betty arrives from college just when Mary and her roommates are arrested as material witnesses in the murder of one of the casino's non-paying customers. Vanning's corrupt lawyer frees the others but pressures Mary to commit perjury in order to discredit crusading ...

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Plot Keywords:

prostitution | fedora | police lineup | blond woman | questioning | 

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Taglines:

A Star Teaming You'll Never Forget!

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Genres:

Crime | Film-Noir | Thriller

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Certificate:

Approved

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

10 April 1937 (USA)

Also Known As:

La mujer marcada

Filming Locations:

Warner Brothers Burbank Studios - 4000 Warner Boulevard, Burbank, California, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

First National Pictures

Technical Specs

Runtime:

96 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Dedicated to realism, Bette Davis left the set when the makeup department outfitted her with dainty bandages for the hospital scene following the physical attack on her character by mobsters. She drove to her own doctor and instructed him to bandage her as he would a badly beaten woman. Returning to the set, she declared, "You shoot me this way, or not at all!" They did.

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Goofs

When Emmy Lou gets out of the elevator at the thirty-fifth floor, she leaves the threatening gangsters behind, but they are there waiting for her when the elevator opens on the ground floor.

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Quotes

Johnny Vanning: [talking to the hostesses in an intimidating manner] I'm taking over this joint. From now on you're working for me. Most of you know how I operate. If you don't, read the papers and find out!

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Connections

References Black Fury (1935)

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Soundtracks

My Silver Dollar Man
(1937) (uncredited)
Music by Harry Warren
Lyrics by Al Dubin
Sung by Rosalind Marquis

User Reviews

the violence surprises

Back to Hollywood and this is Warners 30s black & white highly dramatic fare starring Bette Davis and Humphrey Bogart. Not much of Bogart's work from around this time is all that strong but here he almost already seems the big star he would become, most comfortable in the forthright and caring lawyer. He takes nothing away from Davis, of course, though who still shines through a film that is clearly centred around her. It is a very good performance throughout from the not quite dizzy blonde to the pioneering and ruthless dame. The film begins with great scenes inside the clip-joint where the girls work and money and drinks flow as the girls flirt and the gangsters prowl. The film doesn't exactly lose its way in the middle but it just seemed to me that it might be going to lapse into some moralising crusade. Not at all, this really gets into another gear and the violence surprises. Good low key ending too. Impressive with good script, stirring music and fine performances all round.