Ahh, the fun, decadent days of pre code films! Rich girl venice (bennett) attends the parties that her friends throw, but she's quiet and awkward around the single men. So venice sails off to europe, and hires a gigolo ( lyon) to show her around town, and takes lessons on how to be popular with the jet set. Ironically, she has now become the woman that she previously scorned back home! Will it help her win a man? And which type of man does she want now? It's a good thing they made this when they did... in a mere few years, shenanigans and plain talk about fooling around and staying over would be banned by that hays film code. And for about the next twenty years, the censors would strongly enforce it. This one is fun, but predictable. Films where they sail off now and then seem to have a great sense of adventure about them. And venice is very self aware, not at all the silly, high-pitched-voice woman that were so prevalent in the films of the early 1930s. Fun. Directed by ed griffith. Had started in the silents. Made lots of films about sailing off to exotic places, and going on holiday. Based on the book by harriet henry. She had also written "bought!", an earlier novel made into film, also starring bennett and lyon!
Review of Lady with a Past
