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Post by Fading Fast on Apr 18, 2023 5:46:33 GMT
Continuing our month of business movie melodramas, this Sunday, April 23rd at 3pm ET / 1pm MT / 12pm PT, we will be watching and sharing our thoughts on the 1932 movie "Man Wanted," starring Kay Francis, David Manners, Una Merkel and Andy Devine
"Man Wanted" is a short, powerful precode showing that gender roles in business and society weren't as fixed as Code-era movies later implied.
Kay Francis plays a driven magazine publisher who has a philandering playboy husband and a new male secretary, played by David Manners, whom she abuses at work.
Yet, Manners begins to fall for his sexually alluring boss as he tries to ignore his own pestering fiance, played by Una Merkel.
It's a fun mix of sex, passion and a general lack of integrity that, for audiences then and now, make precodes a guilty pleasure.
Link to the movie: "Man Wanted" |
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Post by topbilled on Apr 18, 2023 14:21:00 GMT
About ten years ago I had corresponded with the guy who inherited David Manners' estate. Manners was gay, had a long-time companion and had no children. But he had become close to a younger guy, who was married and had a child, and they became like his children and grandchild. After Manners died, this guy and his wife were selling DVDs of David Manners' films, and they had written short articles about the films and about their interactions with David, who had told them things about working on those particular sets.
One thing I remember is that supposedly Manners' favorite experience was working alongside Barbara Stanwyck in THE MIRACLE WOMAN (1931) which he considered his best performance. And yes, that's a great role for him. I also think he does very well opposite Katharine Hepburn in the original version of A BILL OF DIVORCEMENT (1932).
Anyway, long story short, it was a goal of mine to watch as many of David Manners' movies as possible. But for some reason, I never did get around to watching MAN WANTED, though it is occassionally broadcast on TCM. So I am glad Fading Fast has chosen this one, and now I will finally sit down and view it on Sunday!
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Post by Fading Fast on Apr 20, 2023 5:36:16 GMT
Please join us Sunday, April 23rd at 3pm ET / 1pm MT / 12pm PT, to see that sex and business almost always mixed badly, even when the woman is in "a position of power," in 1932's "Man Wanted."
Link to the movie: "Man Wanted"
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Post by Fading Fast on Apr 22, 2023 16:36:55 GMT
Please join us tomorrow, April 23rd at 3pm ET / 1pm MT / 12pm PT, to see an abusive female boss, an open marriage and a bunch of people cheating in the racy 1932 precode "Man Wanted."
Link to the movie here: "Man Wanted"
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Post by topbilled on Apr 22, 2023 16:40:52 GMT
I see this film is only one minute longer than FEMALE, clocking in at 61 minutes. Gotta love how they could tell a good story in about an hour's time.
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Post by Fading Fast on Apr 22, 2023 16:46:41 GMT
I see this film is only one minute longer than FEMALE, clocking in at 61 minutes. Gotta love how they could tell a good story in about an hour's time.
I have no training or experience in cinema, I'm just a dumb guy who watches a bunch of movies, but if I was teaching a course in filmmaking, I'd screen some good precodes to show how a lot of plot/twists/character development/etc. can be accomplished quickly and effectively.
I watch movies today, where the images always move at warp speed, but the plot and character development often drags, and think these filmmakers could learn from the precode directors. |
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Post by Andrea Doria on Apr 22, 2023 18:34:45 GMT
Please join us tomorrow, April 23rd at 3pm ET / 1pm MT / 12pm PT, to see an abusive female boss, an open marriage and a bunch of people cheating in the racy 1932 precode "Man Wanted."
Link to the movie here: "Man Wanted" There's that head back/ neck stretched pose the golden age actresses used to denote passion. Ava Gardner and Greta Garbo did it so well and so often I was afraid they were going to pinch something and give themselves strokes.  ![]() |
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Post by Fading Fast on Apr 22, 2023 18:42:43 GMT
Please join us tomorrow, April 23rd at 3pm ET / 1pm MT / 12pm PT, to see an abusive female boss, an open marriage and a bunch of people cheating in the racy 1932 precode "Man Wanted."
Link to the movie here: "Man Wanted" There's that head back/ neck stretched pose the golden age actresses used to denote passion. Ava Gardner and Greta Garbo did it so well and so often I was afraid they were going to pinch something and give themselves strokes. ![]() |
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Post by Fading Fast on Apr 23, 2023 7:59:53 GMT
Please join us later today at 3pm ET / 1pm MT / 12pm PT to see this woman boss the men around in "Man Wanted."
Link to the movie here: "Man Wanted"
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Post by Fading Fast on Apr 23, 2023 18:59:06 GMT
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Post by topbilled on Apr 23, 2023 18:59:09 GMT
About ready to begin...this film has an interesting cast...
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Post by Fading Fast on Apr 23, 2023 19:00:03 GMT
About ready to begin...this film has an interesting cast... |
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Post by topbilled on Apr 23, 2023 19:00:13 GMT
So I see Kay Francis plays an editor, an executive in charge like Ruth Chatterton was in FEMALE. But this movie came first.
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Post by Fading Fast on Apr 23, 2023 19:02:37 GMT
Francis still has some silent film mannerisms.
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Post by topbilled on Apr 23, 2023 19:02:51 GMT
After making a series of hits at Paramount, Kay Francis had signed on with Warner Brothers. This was her first WB picture, and she would make a total of 29 films at the studio over the next ten years.
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