Wonderland Burlesque's Let's All Go To The Movies: She's A Lady! - Part XXVII

Wonderland Burlesque's

Let's All Go To The Movies

She's A Lady!

Part XXVII

Yes, sometimes? It takes a lady.

And sometimes that lady is truly daring!

Or so these films would have us believe.

They promise lots of drama, the occasional comedy or musical, and a little bit of dirt!

Let's take a walk down Hollywood Blvd. and shine a light on these magnificent classic films.

This way, if you please. But remember...

Ladies first!

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The Lady Who Dared

(1931)

The complicated tale of a bored society woman who, after accepting the wrong dinner invitation, finds herself embroiled in blackmail and a smuggling ring.  

This American pre-Code suspense drama was directed by William Beaudine and stars Billie Dove, Sidney Blackmer and Conway Tearle.

In September of 1928, Warner Bros. Pictures purchased a majority interest in First National Pictures and from that point on, all First National productions were actually made under Warner Bros. control. The two companies continued to retain separate identities until the mid-1930's, after which time 'A Warner Bros.-First National Picture' was often used.

Billie Dove, was an American actress who was discovered as a teenager by Florenz Ziegfeld to appear in his Ziegfeld Follies Revue. In the early 1920s, she moved to Hollywood, where she began appearing in silent films. She soon became one of the more popular actresses of the 1920s, appearing in Douglas Fairbanks' smash hit Technicolor film The Black Pirate (1926), as Rodeo West in The Painted Angel (1929), and The American Beauty (1927). Dove had a legion of male fans, one of her more persistent was Howard Hughes. She had a three-year romance with Hughes and was engaged to marry him, but she ended the relationship.

Dove married three times. The first and the third ended in divorce. Following her last film, Blondie of the Follies (1932), Dove retired from the screen to be with her family. She married wealthy oil executive Robert Alan Kenaston in 1935, a marriage that lasted for 35 years until his death in 1970.

Dove was also a pilot, poet, and painter. She spent her retirement years in Rancho Mirage, then moved to the Motion Picture & Television Country House and Hospital in Woodland Hills, California where she died of pneumonia on New Year's Eve 1997, aged 94.

Billie Dove

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The Lady Consents

(1936)

A civilized wife doesn't protest when her husband, a respected physician, runs off with an uncivilized professional golfer who is pretending to be civilized. Boy, is he ever sorry!

This American romantic melodrama was directed by Stephen Roberts and starring Ann Harding, Herbert Marshall and Margaret Lindsay.

The working title of this film was The Indestructible Mrs. Talbot, which was also the title of P.J. Wolfson's story upon which this film is based.

Margaret Lindsay was on loan to RKO from Warner Brothers.

RKO received numerous letters of complaint from glass-blowers unions when the new technology of beer in cans was featured in this film.

  

Ann Harding

The Lady Objects

(1945)

AKA: Frontier Gal, The Red Horse Tavern, The Wild Rose Of The West

A wanderer returns after six years and a one-night honeymoon to make amends with his bride and five year-old daughter.

This American Western was directed by Charles Lamont and stars Yvonne De Carlo and Rod Cameron.

Originally meant to be a vehicle for Maria Montez and Jon Hall, but Montez didn't like the script and refused to do the picture. De Carlo says Montez turned down the role because she did not want to work with Rod Cameron and did not want to play the mother of a young girl. De Carlo later wrote "the studio knew I would play opposite Rin Tin Tin if they told me to, and would gladly agree to be the mother of the seven dwarfs." Universal replaced Montez with De Carlo and dropped Hall in favor of Rod Cameron. DeCarlo ultimately replaced Montez altogether at Universal and appeared in many of the studio's 'sword and sandal' epics originally intended for Montez.

DeCarlo was not the only substitute. The main villain role was meant to be played by Peter Coe. He had just received a medical discharge for the Marine Corps, and Universal became worried he was not up to it, so the role was given to Alan Curtis. When Curtis refused to play the role, he was replaced by Sheldon Leonard.

Yvonne DeCarlo

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The Lady Craved Excitement

(1950)

Pat, a cabaret performer, and her boyfriend find themselves caught up in the schemes and shenanigans of a trio of not-so-bright crooks. Pat's craving for excitement threatens the duos fledgling entertainment careers. They stumble their way through a number of dangerous situations, leading them to uncover a conspiracy to smuggle valuable works of art out of the country.

This British comedy was directed by Francis Searle and stars Hy Hazell, Michael Medwin and Sid James.

Based on the first of five BBC Radio serials featuring the characters Pat and David, originally broadcast in1949.

An early Hammer film, it is significant as one of five films shot at Oakley Court and the first to feature its famous exterior, located next door to Bray Studios.

This film can be viewed in its entirety for free on YouTube!

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The Lady Kills

(1971)

AKA: Perverse et Docile

Tells the story of Françoise Frémont, who travels across Europe on an apparently random killing spree, bumping off a series of increasingly odious men. From Swinging London to the eternal city of Rome, she leaves a trail of dead bodies and the question: why? The answer? To avenge her older sister who was gang raped years ago! 

This Belgium/French exploitation thriller was directed by Jean-Louis Van Belle and stars Carole Lebel, Albert Simono, Paul Descombes, Christian Roche and Claude Beautheac.

Offers a blast of female revenge violence set to a psych-rock freakout soundtrack. There’s also high fashion, swinging electric jazz and nudity featuring Carole Lebel (Two Weeks In September, The Golden Claws of the Cat Girl).

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And that's all for now, folks.

Tune in next time...

Same place, same channel.

The Lady Who Dared - Selected Scene

(1931)