''The Girl from Missouri'' (originally called ''Born to Be Kissed'') is a

1934 Events January–February * January 1 – The International Telecommunication Union, a specialist agency of the League of Nations, is established. * January 15 – The 8.0 Nepal–Bihar earthquake strikes Nepal and Bihar with a maxi ...

American romantic comedy-drama film starring

Jean Harlow Jean Harlow (born Harlean Harlow Carpenter; March 3, 1911 – June 7, 1937) was an American actress. Known for her portrayal of "bad girl" characters, she was the leading sex symbol of the early 1930s and one of the defining figures of the ...

and

Franchot Tone Stanislaus Pascal Franchot Tone (February 27, 1905 – September 18, 1968) was an American actor, producer, and director of stage, film and television. He was a leading man in the 1930s and early 1940s, and at the height of his career was known ...

. The movie was written by

Anita Loos Corinne Anita Loos (April 26, 1888 – August 18, 1981) was an American actress, novelist, playwright and screenwriter. In 1912, she became the first female staff screenwriter in Hollywood (film industry), Hollywood, when D. W. Griffith put h ...

and directed by Jack Conway.

Plot

Eadie (Jean Harlow) lives in Kansas City, working as a waitress-slash-dance partner at a beer joint owned by her abusive stepfather. She runs away to New York City with her man-hungry friend Kitty ( Patsy Kelly). On the train, she tells Kitty that she has ideals and plans to marry a somebody so she can accomplish something worthwhile. A millionaire seems just right to her. Any millionaire. She lands a job as one of the chorus girls entertaining guests at a stag party at the mansion of wealthy Frank Cousins (

Lewis Stone Lewis Shepard Stone (November 15, 1879 – September 12, 1953) was an American film actor. He spent 29 years as a contract player at Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer and was best known for his portrayal of Judge James Hardy in the studio's popular ''Andy H ...

). There, she manages to see Cousins alone; knowing he is about to commit suicidae over unplayable debts, he offers her expensive gifts, including a pair of expensive star ruby cufflinks, but she refuses to accept them until they become engaged. She is surprised when he readily agrees. Unbeknownst to her, guest T.R. Paige ( Lionel Barrymore) had just before refused to save Cousins from financial ruin. After Eadie leaves Cousins he shoots himself. Seeking to cover her dubious tracks she becomes rather intimately acquainted with T.R. when she gets him to retrieve the cufflinks from her stocking before the investigating policeman can ask where and how she got them (intimating she’d be accused either of Cousins’ murder or robbing the corpse). “Following the money”, Eadie visits her new friend at his workplace to reconnect with him. When she says she has been fired and that she is determined to marry a rich man, an alarmed T.R. gives her some money and leaves for Palm Beach, Florida. Eadie and Kitty follow and visit T.R.'s Florida office. The comely, yet overtly trashy, Eadie is spotted in the waiting room by T.R.'s son Tom (

). Not knowing who he is, Eadie tries to brush him off, but he is very persistent. Eventually, she learns his identity, but remains cool to him, since it becomes clear that he is not interested in marriage. Tom finally manages to get her alone in his bedroom in the Paige mansion, but she defends her virtue and, to both their surprise, he lets her go. Tom tells his father that he wants to marry Eadie, despite her low class past. T.R. gives his blessing, but after Tom leaves, calls the district attorney. Tom tells Eadie they are going to get married. After he leaves however, a man sneaks into her apartment. Some photographers catch her in the stranger's arms and the district attorney accuses her of stealing Cousins' jewelry and jails her. When Tom and his father come to see her, she tells Tom that T.R. must have framed her, but Tom's father is much more persuasive and Tom breaks up with Eadie. Tom's rival, the married Charlie Turner (

Hale Hamilton Hale Rice Hamilton (February 28, 1880 – May 19, 1942) was an American actor, writer and producer. Biography Hamilton was born in Topeka, Kansas in 1880. (His birth year is sometimes listed as either 1879 or 1883.) Hamilton's Broadway debut w ...

), bails Eadie out. For revenge, she sneaks into T.R.'s stateroom on the liner he and Tom are taking to London. She emerges unexpectedly, clad only in lingerie, and embraces a surprised T.R just as photographers take his picture. Having been disillusioned, Eadie gets drunk and turns to Charlie Turner. However, Kitty keeps them from being alone together as long as she can. Tom arrives just in time, having changed his mind, and puts Eadie in the shower to sober up. T.R. follows. To save his reputation, he has told the press she was innocent of the theft and that she was married to Tom. He is also impressed by her fighting spirit. A quick wedding is arranged on the spot.

Cast

as Edith 'Eadie' Chapman * Lionel Barrymore as Thomas Randall 'T.R.' Paige *

as T.R. 'Tom' Paige Jr. *

as Frank Cousins * Patsy Kelly as Kitty Lennihan *

Alan Mowbray Alan Mowbray (born Alfred Ernest Allen; 18 August 1896 – 25 March 1969) was an English stage and film actor who found success in Hollywood. Early life Mowbray was born in London, England. He served with distinction in the British Army in Wo ...

as Lord Douglas *

Clara Blandick Clara Blandick (born Clara Blanchard Dickey; June 4, 1876 – April 15, 1962) was an American character, film, stage and theater actress. She played Aunt Em in Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer's '' The Wizard of Oz'' (1939). As a character actress, sh ...

as Miss Newberry, T.R.'s secretary *

as Charlie Turner *

Garry Owen The 7th Cavalry Regiment is a United States Army cavalry regiment formed in 1866. Its official nickname is "Garryowen", after the Irish air " Garryowen" that was adopted as its march tune. The regiment participated in some of the largest ba ...

as Sailor Cupick - Kitty's Date

References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Girl from Missouri, The 1934 films American romantic comedy-drama films Films directed by Jack Conway Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer films 1930s romantic comedy-drama films Films with screenplays by Anita Loos American black-and-white films 1934 comedy films 1934 drama films 1930s English-language films 1930s American films

Plot

Cast

See also

References

External links