Complicated Women

Complicated Women

2003
56min

Looks at the stereotype-breaking films of the period from 1929, when movies entered the sound era, until 1934 when the Hays Code virtually neutered film content. No longer portrayed as virgins or vamps, the liberated female of the pre-code films had dimensions. Good girls had lovers and babies and held down jobs, while the bad girls were cast in a sympathetic light. And they did it all without apology.

Complicated Women

Storyline

Looks at the stereotype-breaking films of the period from 1929, when movies entered the sound era, until 1934 when the Hays Code virtually neutered film content. No longer portrayed as virgins or vamps, the liberated female of the pre-code films had dimensions. Good girls had lovers and babies and held down jobs, while the bad girls were cast in a sympathetic light. And they did it all without apology.
Cast
Jane Fonda
Jane Fonda
Self - Narrator (voice)
Frances Dee
Frances Dee
Self - Interviewee
Karen Morley
Karen Morley
Self - Interviewee
Kitty Carlisle
Kitty Carlisle
Self - Interviewee
Mae Madison
Mae Madison
Self - Interviewee
Mark Vieira
Self - Interviewee
Mick LaSalle
Self - Interviewee
Molly Haskell
Molly Haskell
Self - Interviewee
Barbara Stanwyck
Barbara Stanwyck
Self (archive footage)
Bette Davis
Bette Davis
Self (archive footage)
C. Aubrey Smith
C. Aubrey Smith
Self (archive footage)
Chester Morris
Chester Morris
Self (archive footage)
Clark Gable
Clark Gable
Self (archive footage)
Claudette Colbert
Claudette Colbert
Self (archive footage)
Dolores del Río
Dolores del Río
Self (archive footage)
Fred Astaire
Fred Astaire
Self (archive footage)
Fredric March
Fredric March
Self (archive footage)
Gene Raymond
Gene Raymond
Self (archive footage)
Ginger Rogers
Ginger Rogers
Self (archive footage)
Greta Garbo
Greta Garbo
Self (archive footage)
Helen Twelvetrees
Helen Twelvetrees
Self (archive footage)
Irving Thalberg
Irving Thalberg
Self (archive footage)
James Cagney
James Cagney
Self (archive footage)
Jean Harlow
Jean Harlow
Self (archive footage)
Joan Blondell
Joan Blondell
Self (archive footage)
Joan Crawford
Joan Crawford
Self (archive footage)
John Gilbert
John Gilbert
Self (archive footage)
Johnny Weissmüller
Johnny Weissmüller
Self (archive footage)
Katharine Hepburn
Katharine Hepburn
Self (archive footage)
Kay Francis
Kay Francis
Self (archive footage)
Leslie Howard
Leslie Howard
Self (archive footage)
Lewis Stone
Lewis Stone
Self (archive footage)
Loretta Young
Loretta Young
Self (archive footage)
Norma Shearer
Norma Shearer
Self (archive footage)
Mae West
Mae West
Self (archive footage)
Marlene Dietrich
Marlene Dietrich
Self (archive footage)
Maureen O'Sullivan
Maureen O'Sullivan
Self (archive footage)
Miriam Hopkins
Miriam Hopkins
Self (archive footage)
Myrna Loy
Myrna Loy
Self (archive footage)
Ricardo Cortez
Ricardo Cortez
Self (archive footage)
Robert Montgomery
Robert Montgomery
Self (archive footage)
Ruth Chatterton
Ruth Chatterton
Self (archive footage)
Tallulah Bankhead
Tallulah Bankhead
Self (archive footage)
William H. Hays
William H. Hays
Self (archive footage)
Gilbert Roland
Gilbert Roland
Self (archive footage)
Lee Phelps
Lee Phelps
Self (archive footage)
Nat Pendleton
Nat Pendleton
Self (archive footage)
Warner Oland
Warner Oland
Self (archive footage)
Maurice Murphy
Maurice Murphy
Self (archive footage)
Herbert Marshall
Herbert Marshall
Self (archive footage)
George F. Marion
George F. Marion
Self (archive footage)
Aline MacMahon
Aline MacMahon
Self (archive footage)
Dorothy Mackaill
Dorothy Mackaill
Self (archive footage)
Paul Lukas
Paul Lukas
Self (archive footage)
Jack La Rue
Jack La Rue
Self (archive footage)
Allen Jenkins
Allen Jenkins
Self (archive footage)
Olin Howland
Olin Howland
Self (archive footage)
Jean Hersholt
Jean Hersholt
Self (archive footage)
Ann Harding
Ann Harding
Self (archive footage)
Cary Grant
Cary Grant
Self (archive footage)
William Gargan
William Gargan
Self (archive footage)
Douglass Dumbrille
Douglass Dumbrille
Self (archive footage)
Cecil Cunningham
Cecil Cunningham
Self (archive footage)
Gary Cooper
Gary Cooper
Self (archive footage)
Maurice Chevalier
Maurice Chevalier
Self (archive footage)
Virginia Bruce
Virginia Bruce
Self (archive footage)
Charles Bickford
Charles Bickford
Self (archive footage)
Robert Barrat
Robert Barrat
Self (archive footage)
John Barrymore
John Barrymore
Self (archive footage)
Lionel Barrymore
Lionel Barrymore
Self (archive footage)
Wallace Beery
Wallace Beery
Self (archive footage)
More like this
Made with
and
Logo
Nuxt Movies

Data provided by 

This project uses the TMDB API but is not endorsed or certified by TMDB.