Red-Headed Woman (1932) Review- By Michael J. Carlisle

Title: Red-Headed Woman
Year: 1932
Director: Jack Conway
Country: US
Language: English

Red-Headed Woman was a bestseller, but so trashy that MGM couldn’t find a name actress willing to play the leading role. Clara Bow and Colleen Moore said no. Paramount refused MGM’s request of Nancy Carroll. The actress who eventually fought for and won the role, Jean Harlow, was known by fans for being a seductress and known by critics as being a bad actress. While established stars kept their distance from this picture, Harlow rode it to great reward. Establishing herself as a high calibre star in the process. 

Lil (Jean Harlow) works for the Legendre Company and causes Bill to divorce Irene and marry her. She has an affair with businessman Gaerste and uses him to force society to pay attention to her.

Red-Headed Woman presented “a very grave problem” to Motion Picture Producers and Directors of America (MPPDA) President Will Hays, who saw its lead character, Lil Andrews, as no more than “a common little tart". The role would have likely ruined the reputation of bigger stars, but Harlow was in an odd point of her career and, fortunately, managed to infuse a very human quality into the character. 

 MGM contract director Jack Conway was assigned to the film. It was a solid choice. Conway had twenty years directorial experience at this time and was coming into his own with the talkies. The picture's script likely had a lot of red ink from the censors, but when it arrived in theatres it still managed to shock critics, who really couldn't believe that much sex could come from a 30's picture. 

Red-Headed Woman was a hit in its day, grossing well over the amount it cost to produce the film. It also pushed Jean Harlow's career to new heights. While its pretty tame for today's standards, Red-Headed Woman is still a pretty entertaining watch.