Female (1933)

User Rating:

6.7/10   

Director:

Michael Curtiz
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Writers:

Donald Henderson Clarke (story)
Gene Markey (screenplay) ...
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Release Date:

11 November 1933 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Drama | Romance

Plot:

Alison is owner and successful manager of an automobile factory. She also has a good relation to her employees - especially the male ones...

Plot Keywords:

Factory | Automobile Factory | Detective | Engineer | Secretary

Cast

Ruth Chatterton	...	Alison Drake
George Brent	...	Jim Thorne
Lois Wilson	...	Harriet Brown
Johnny Mack Brown	...	George P. Cooper
Ruth Donnelly	...	Miss Frothingham
Ferdinand Gottschalk	...	Pettigrew
Phillip Reed	...	Freddie Claybourne
Gavin Gordon	...	Briggs
Kenneth Thomson	...	Red, Alison's Dance Partner at Party
Huey White	...	Puggy, Alison's Chauffeur
Douglass Dumbrille	...	George Mumford (as Douglas Dumbrille)
Spencer Charters	...	Tom, a Doorman
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Irving Bacon	...	Gas Station Attendant (uncredited)
Edmund Breese	...	Board Member (uncredited)
Edmund Burns	...	Alison's Secretary (uncredited)
Wallis Clark	...	Board Member (uncredited)
Edward Cooper	...	James, Alison's Second Butler (uncredited)
Tom Costello	...	Draftsman (uncredited)
Joseph Crehan	...	Police Lieutenant (uncredited)
Frank Darien	...	Ed, the Comptroller (uncredited)
William B. Davidson	...	Department Head (uncredited)
Lester Dorr	...	Shooting Gallery Onlooker (uncredited)
Charley Grapewin	...	Drunk at Hamburger Stand (uncredited)
Harrison Greene	...	Man with Pig (uncredited)
Robert Greig	...	James, Alison's Main Butler (uncredited)
Lew Harvey	...	Man Trying to Pick Up Alison (uncredited)
Edward Keane	...	Department Head (uncredited)
Robert McKenzie	...	Grocery Store Proprietor (uncredited)
Jean Muir	...	Miss Joyce, Jim's Secretary (uncredited)
Vesey O'Davoren	...	Footman (uncredited)
George Offerman Jr.	...	Gus, Second Office Boy (uncredited)
Henry Otho	...	Shooting Gallery Onlooker (uncredited)
Rafaela Ottiano	...	Della, Alison's Maid (uncredited)
George Ovey	...	Dance Floor Extra (uncredited)
Lee Phelps	...	Man with Thorne's Blueprints (uncredited)
Willard Robertson	...	Department Head (uncredited)
Larry Steers	...	Board Member (uncredited)
Ethel Wales	...	Alison's Secretary (uncredited)
Walter Walker	...	Board Member Jarratt (uncredited)
Juliet Ware	...	Red's Wife (uncredited)
Robert Warwick	...	Attorney Bradley (uncredited)
Charles C. Wilson	...	Private Detective Falihee (uncredited)
Eric Wilton	...	Footman at Pool (uncredited)
Dick Winslow	...	First Office Boy (uncredited)

Directed by
Michael Curtiz
William Dieterle		(uncredited)
William A. Wellman		(uncredited) (17 scenes)

Writing credits
Donald Henderson Clarke		(story) (as Donald Henderson Clark)
Gene Markey		(screenplay) &
Kathryn Scola		(screenplay)

Produced by
Robert Presnell Sr.	....	producer (uncredited)

Original Music by
Sammy Fain		(uncredited)

Cinematography by
Sidney Hickox		(as Sid Hickox)

Film Editing by
Jack Killifer

Art Direction by
Jack Okey

Costume Design by
Orry-Kelly		(gowns)

Art Department
G.W. Berntsen	....	props (uncredited)

Sound Department
I.A. Brown	....	sound (uncredited)
Charles Lang	....	sound (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department
M.A. Anderson	....	assistant camera (uncredited)
Thomas Brannigan	....	second camera operator (uncredited)
Charles Ferguson	....	chief electrician (uncredited)
Dudie Maschmeyer	....	grip (uncredited)
William McNally	....	grip (uncredited)
Robert Robinson	....	assistant camera (uncredited)
Scotty Welbourne	....	still photographer (uncredited)

Music Department
Leo F. Forbstein	....	conductor: Vitaphone orchestra
Sammy Fain	....	composer: music cues (uncredited)

Other crew
Stanley Logan	....	dialogue director (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Warner Bros. Pictures (as First National Pictures Inc.)

Distributors

• Warner Bros. Pictures (1933) (USA) (theatrical) (as First National Pictures Inc.)
• MGM/UA Home Entertainment (video)
• Warner Home Video (2008) (USA) (DVD)

Runtime:

60 min | Germany:58 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

USA:Unrated

Filming Locations:

Ennis House - 2607 Glendower Avenue, Hollywood Hills, Los Angeles, California, USA

Company:

Warner Bros. Pictures

Trivia:

When Jack L. Warner saw the initial version of the film, as directed largely by William A. Wellman, he disliked the performance of the actor playing George Cooper, and insisted that all the scenes featuring him be re-shot with Johnny Mack Brown brought in to play Cooper. Because Wellman was no longer available, Michael Curtiz was brought in to direct the re-shot scenes. Curiously, Curtiz ended up getting the only directing credit in the final cut of the movie.

Quotes:

Alison Drake: I know for some women, men are a household necessity; myself, I'd rather have a canary.

Movie Connections:

Featured in Thou Shalt Not: Sex, Sin and Censorship in Pre-Code Hollywood (2008) (TV)

Soundtrack:

Shanghai Lil

Female President of an Automobile Company!

This is a wonderful movie! The Art Deco sets are great - especially Miss Drake's house. (High up in the entry hall there is a balcony with a live organist!). Here are some facts: The assembly line for the "Drake" automobile is actually footage of the assembly line for the 1932 Plymouth. That beautiful town car she travels in is a Cord L-29 (as it pulls away listen to that beautiful whine of the front-wheel-drive transmission). George Brent drive a 1929 Packard. (Guess my obsession!)