Female (1933 film)
| Female | |
|---|---|
VHS cover
|
|
| Directed by |
Michael Curtiz William Dieterle (uncredited) William A. Wellman (uncredited, 17 scenes) |
| Produced by | Robert Presnell Sr. |
| Written by |
Donald Henderson Clarke (story) Gene Markey Kathryn Scola |
| Starring |
Ruth Chatterton George Brent |
| Music by | Sammy Fain (uncredited) |
| Cinematography | Sidney Hickox |
| Edited by | Jack Killifer |
| Distributed by | Warner Bros. |
|
Release date
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November 11, 1933 |
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Running time
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60 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
Female is a 1933 Warner Bros. Pre-Code film directed by Michael Curtiz and starring Ruth Chatterton and George Brent. It is based on the novel of the same name by Donald Henderson Clarke.
Alison Drake (Ruth Chatterton) is the wealthy owner and hard-driving, no-nonsense head of a large automobile company, inherited from her father. Her work has caused her to lose her youthful romanticism, and she has casual affairs with men, including her own employees.
Alison hosts a party at her mansion, but becomes fed up with the men out to either sell her things or marry her for her money. She dresses down and goes to an amusement park, where she picks up a man at a shooting gallery. They have fun together, but he refuses her offer to go home with him.
The next day, they meet again at her factory. To their mutual astonishment, he turns out to be Jim Thorne (George Brent), a gifted engineer she has ordered her underlings to hire away from her competition. Saying that she has no time now, Alison has him come to her mansion that night, supposedly to discuss his plans for the company in detail. She attempts to seduce him, but he rejects her as anything other than his employer.
Annoyed, she turns to her assistant, Pettigew (Ferdinand Gottschalk), for advice. He tells her that men want women who are softer and less independent, so she adjusts her tactics. She tricks Jim into a picnic and wears him down. In the end, he succumbs to her charms.
The next day, he shows up at her office with a marriage license, but she informs him that she likes their relationship just the way it is. Outraged, he quits.
Alison has another problem on her hands. Her company needs more financing to survive, but another firm is intent on taking advantage of the situation to take over and has gotten the local banks to turn her down. She sets up an appointment to meet with bankers in New York City, but then breaks down when she realizes that she cannot live without Jim.
She has the police track down which way he went and drives off after him. She eventually finds him (at another shooting gallery) and tells him that she is willing to get married. Then, he realizes that they can fly to New York in time to save her company. Even so, she tells him that he will run the firm, while she has nine children.
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