Complicated Women - 2003

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.

56min
2003
PG
Released
Trakio rating0.0/10
IMDB rating7.7/10

Cast

Jane Fonda profile pictureJane FondaSelf - Narrator (voice)
Frances Dee profile pictureFrances DeeSelf - Interviewee
Karen Morley profile pictureKaren MorleySelf - Interviewee
Kitty Carlisle profile pictureKitty CarlisleSelf - Interviewee
Mae Madison profile pictureMae MadisonSelf - Interviewee
Molly Haskell profile pictureMolly HaskellSelf - Interviewee
Barbara Stanwyck profile pictureBarbara StanwyckSelf (archive footage)
Bette Davis profile pictureBette DavisSelf (archive footage)
C. Aubrey Smith profile pictureC. Aubrey SmithSelf (archive footage)
Chester Morris profile pictureChester MorrisSelf (archive footage)
Clark Gable profile pictureClark GableSelf (archive footage)
Claudette Colbert profile pictureClaudette ColbertSelf (archive footage)
Dolores del Río profile pictureDolores del RíoSelf (archive footage)
Fred Astaire profile pictureFred AstaireSelf (archive footage)
Fredric March profile pictureFredric MarchSelf (archive footage)
Gene Raymond profile pictureGene RaymondSelf (archive footage)
Ginger Rogers profile pictureGinger RogersSelf (archive footage)
Greta Garbo profile pictureGreta GarboSelf (archive footage)
Helen Twelvetrees profile pictureHelen TwelvetreesSelf (archive footage)
Irving Thalberg profile pictureIrving ThalbergSelf (archive footage)
James Cagney profile pictureJames CagneySelf (archive footage)
Jean Harlow profile pictureJean HarlowSelf (archive footage)
Joan Blondell profile pictureJoan BlondellSelf (archive footage)
Joan Crawford profile pictureJoan CrawfordSelf (archive footage)
John Gilbert profile pictureJohn GilbertSelf (archive footage)
Johnny Weissmüller profile pictureJohnny WeissmüllerSelf (archive footage)
Katharine Hepburn profile pictureKatharine HepburnSelf (archive footage)
Kay Francis profile pictureKay FrancisSelf (archive footage)
Leslie Howard profile pictureLeslie HowardSelf (archive footage)
Lewis Stone profile pictureLewis StoneSelf (archive footage)
Loretta Young profile pictureLoretta YoungSelf (archive footage)
Norma Shearer profile pictureNorma ShearerSelf (archive footage)
Mae West profile pictureMae WestSelf (archive footage)
Marlene Dietrich profile pictureMarlene DietrichSelf (archive footage)
Maureen O'Sullivan profile pictureMaureen O'SullivanSelf (archive footage)
Miriam Hopkins profile pictureMiriam HopkinsSelf (archive footage)
Myrna Loy profile pictureMyrna LoySelf (archive footage)
Ricardo Cortez profile pictureRicardo CortezSelf (archive footage)
Robert Montgomery profile pictureRobert MontgomerySelf (archive footage)
Ruth Chatterton profile pictureRuth ChattertonSelf (archive footage)
Tallulah Bankhead profile pictureTallulah BankheadSelf (archive footage)
William H. Hays profile pictureWilliam H. HaysSelf (archive footage)
Gilbert Roland profile pictureGilbert RolandSelf (archive footage)
Lee Phelps profile pictureLee PhelpsSelf (archive footage)
Nat Pendleton profile pictureNat PendletonSelf (archive footage)
Warner Oland profile pictureWarner OlandSelf (archive footage)
Maurice Murphy profile pictureMaurice MurphySelf (archive footage)
Herbert Marshall profile pictureHerbert MarshallSelf (archive footage)
George F. Marion profile pictureGeorge F. MarionSelf (archive footage)
Aline MacMahon profile pictureAline MacMahonSelf (archive footage)
Dorothy Mackaill profile pictureDorothy MackaillSelf (archive footage)
Paul Lukas profile picturePaul LukasSelf (archive footage)
Jack La Rue profile pictureJack La RueSelf (archive footage)
Allen Jenkins profile pictureAllen JenkinsSelf (archive footage)
Olin Howland profile pictureOlin HowlandSelf (archive footage)
Jean Hersholt profile pictureJean HersholtSelf (archive footage)
Ann Harding profile pictureAnn HardingSelf (archive footage)
Cary Grant profile pictureCary GrantSelf (archive footage)
William Gargan profile pictureWilliam GarganSelf (archive footage)
Douglass Dumbrille profile pictureDouglass DumbrilleSelf (archive footage)
Cecil Cunningham profile pictureCecil CunninghamSelf (archive footage)
Gary Cooper profile pictureGary CooperSelf (archive footage)
Maurice Chevalier profile pictureMaurice ChevalierSelf (archive footage)
Virginia Bruce profile pictureVirginia BruceSelf (archive footage)
Charles Bickford profile pictureCharles BickfordSelf (archive footage)
Robert Barrat profile pictureRobert BarratSelf (archive footage)
John Barrymore profile pictureJohn BarrymoreSelf (archive footage)
Lionel Barrymore profile pictureLionel BarrymoreSelf (archive footage)
Wallace Beery profile pictureWallace BeerySelf (archive footage)

About Complicated Women

Complicated Women Overview

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.

Age Rating: PG
Runtime: 56min

Extra details

Original Title: Complicated Women
Original Language: English
Directed By: Hugh Munro Neely
Production Companies
Timeline Films