Wonderful World of TCM: Women's pictures

Ann Carver's Profession (1933): Anytime I see a title like this and the movie is from anywhere near the Pre-Code era, I think, you guessed it, prostitution.

Well, sorry to disappoint (hey, I know I was kind of bummed), but Ann Carver's profession is one slightly more reputable: attorney. She's a darned good one, too--attorney--and rises quickly. There is some rather racy material here, too. In one memorable sequence, the shrewd Carver, played with gusto and credibility by Fay Wray, defends her client in a breach of promise suit by attempting to prove to the jury that there was no way the defendant could have known the plaintiff was black! It's a remarkable thing to watch. Oh, so wrong, yes, with all its racial implications, but amazing.

The heart of this tale, though is Carver's marriage to former football star turned second fiddle to his wife Bill Graham (played by Gene Raymond). As Ann becomes more and more successful, Bill becomes more and more pouty, and it's interesting to see the guy acting petulant not just because his wife is working--this happened all the time in movies of the era--but because he feels overshadowed, neglectful, and inadequate. Hmm, I guess this happened all the time back then, too.

The couple splits, but things take an interesting turn when Bill is accused of murder. Will Ann defend him, even if that makes little sense for a variety of reasons? You'll just have to watch, but fear not, the movie takes the entertaining path here. It's a fun movie highlighted by Wray's self-assured, confident, independent character--uh, just ignore her little "affirm prevailing values" speech at the end.

Four Daughters (1938): Claude Rains is a blustery but bighearted widower raising 6 daughters--no, I kid, it's 4 daughters. The ladies are charming, and the mix of melodrama and some light comedy goes down smoothly.

One thing becomes evident quickly: John Garfield was a movie star, and a helluva lot more charismatic than the likes of Jeffrey Lynn and Frank McHugh. Not to dis those guys, but the young Garfield must have really blown them off screen to audiences in 1938. Even though his character has kind of an Eeyore-like attitude about the world's treatment of himself, he is still the most interesting thing in the movie, especially since Rains' role is sparse and he shares screen time with the most luminous of the Daughters, Priscilla Lane.

Directed by Michael Curtiz, "Four Daughters" is professional entertainment delivered by Warner Brothers. I mainly saw this because some time ago I saw a good chunk of "Four Wives." I think TCM shows this one more often than the sequels, "Wives" and "Four Mothers," but I hadn't gotten around to seeing it yet. Now I have an enjoyed it enough, so bring on the others.