''Havana Widows'' is a 1933 American

pre-Code Pre-Code Hollywood was the brief era in the American film industry between the widespread adoption of sound in film in 1929LaSalle (2002), p. 1. and the enforcement of the Motion Picture Production Code censorship guidelines, popularly known ...

comedy film directed by

Ray Enright Ray Enright (March 25, 1896 – April 3, 1965) was an American film director. He directed 73 films between 1927–53, many of them for Warner Bros. He oversaw comedy films like Joe E. Brown vehicles, five of the six informal pairings of ...

, starring

Joan Blondell Joan Blondell (born Rose Joan Bluestein; August 30, 1906 – December 25, 1979) was an American actress who performed in film and television for 50 years. Blondell began her career in vaudeville. After winning a beauty pageant, she embarked on ...

and

Glenda Farrell Glenda Farrell (June 30, 1904 – May 1, 1971) was an American actress. Farrell personified the smart and sassy, wisecracking blonde of the Classical Hollywood films. Farrell's career spanned more than 50 years, appearing in numerous Broadwa ...

. It was released by Warner Bros. on November 18, 1933. Two chorus girls travel to

Havana Havana (; Spanish: ''La Habana'' ) is the capital and largest city of Cuba. The heart of the La Habana Province, Havana is the country's main port and commercial center.

in search of rich husbands. Their target is Deacon Jones, a self-appointed moralist who cannot drink without getting drunk. The film is the first of a series of five movies by Warner Bros. where Blondell and Farrell were paired as blonde bombshell comedy team, throughout the early 1930s. The other films in the series include ''

Kansas City Princess ''Kansas City Princess'' is a 1934 American comedy film starring Joan Blondell and Glenda Farrell. The film was directed by William Keighley with a script written by Sy Bartlett and Manuel Seff. Warner Bros. sought to duplicate the success of ' ...

'' (1934), '' Traveling Saleslady'' (1935), '' We're in the Money'' (1935) and '' Miss Pacific Fleet'' (1935). Four of the five films were directed by Ray Enright. Farrell and Blondell also co-starred in other Warner Bros. movies: ''

Three on a Match ''Three on a Match'' is a 1932 American pre-Code crime drama released by Warner Bros. The film was directed by Mervyn LeRoy and stars Joan Blondell, Warren William, Ann Dvorak and Bette Davis. The film also features Lyle Talbot, Humphrey Bog ...

'' (1932), '' I've Got Your Number'' (1934) and ''

Gold Diggers of 1937 ''Gold Diggers of 1937'' is a Warner Bros. movie musical directed by Lloyd Bacon with musical numbers created and directed by Busby Berkeley. The film stars Dick Powell and Joan Blondell, who were married at the time, with Glenda Farrell and Vic ...

'' (1936).

Plot

Mae Knight (Joan Blondell) and Sadie Appleby (Glenda Farrell),

chorus line A chorus line is a large group of dancers who together perform synchronized routines, usually in musical theatre. Sometimes, singing is also performed. Chorus line dancers in Broadway musicals and revues have been referred to by slang terms su ...

dancers in a New York City

burlesque A burlesque is a literary, dramatic or musical work intended to cause laughter by caricaturing the manner or spirit of serious works, or by ludicrous treatment of their subjects.

show, are visited by a former showgirl acquaintance (an uncredited

Noel Francis Noel Francis (born Noel Frances Sweeney, August 31, 1906 – October 30, 1959) was an American actress of the stage and screen during the 1920s and 1930s. Born in Texas, she began her acting career on the Broadway stage in the mid-1920s, befo ...

) who received a rich settlement for

breach of promise Breach of promise is a common law tort, abolished in many jurisdictions. It was also called breach of contract to marry,N.Y. Civil Rights Act article 8, §§ 80-A to 84. and the remedy awarded was known as heart balm. From at least the Middle ...

from a married man she met in

Havana Havana (; Spanish: ''La Habana'' ) is the capital and largest city of Cuba. The heart of the La Habana Province, Havana is the country's main port and commercial center.

. Sadie decides they will follow her example. Pretending that Mae's mother in Kansas is sick, they get Herman Brody (Allen Jenkins) to promise to lend them $1500. Herman does not have the money himself, but convinces his boss, Butch O'Neill, to loan it to him. Unfortunately, Herman loses the money gambling (in Butch's own casino). Insurance salesman Otis needs one more sale to get a $5000 bonus, so he offers Herman $1500 to buy a policy. Herman insures Mae's life, with him as the beneficiary. In Havana, Sadie and Mae pretend to be rich widows. They think they have it made when they find Deacon R. Jones (Guy Kibbee), a wealthy horse breeder who cannot afford a scandal, in their bed by mistake. However, Mae is smitten with Deacon's handsome son Bob (Lyle Talbot), but finds out that Bob has no money of his own. When Mae and Sadie encounter Deacon's wife, they realize that a marriage proposal from him is out of the question. Their alcoholic lawyer, Duffy (Frank McHugh), advises them to trap Deacon in a scandalous situation and blackmail him instead. Meanwhile, the bank calls to verify the forged check. Panicking, Herman goes to see Otis, only to discover that he has lost his job and left town. When he tries to track Sadie and Mae down, he learns that they are not in Kansas. Herman follows them to Havana. He meets Duffy in a local bar. Duffy talks him into playing Mae's outraged husband. Duffy has Deacon kidnapped, but he resists the attempt to frame him. Butch finds Herman, but he only wants him to return to work because his luck has been bad ever since Herman left. Bob decides to get a job in New York and marry Mae, and Sadie marries Herman.

Cast

as Mae Knight *

as Sadie Appleby *

Guy Kibbee Guy Bridges Kibbee (March 6, 1882 – May 24, 1956) was an American stage and film actor. Early years Kibbee was born in El Paso, Texas. His father was editor of the ''El Paso Herald-Post'' newspaper, and Kibbee learned how to set type at age ...

as Deacon Jones *

Allen Jenkins Allen Curtis Jenkins (born Alfred McGonegal; April 9, 1900 – July 20, 1974) was an American character actor and singer who worked on stage, film, and television. Life and career Jenkins was born on Staten Island, New York, on April 9, 1900. ...

as Herman Brody *

Lyle Talbot Lyle Florenz Talbot (born Lisle Henderson, also credited Lysle Talbot; February 8, 1902 – March 2, 1996) was an American stage, screen and television actor. His career in films spanned three decades, from 1931 to 1960, and he performed on ...

as Bob Jones *

Frank McHugh Francis Curry McHugh (May 23, 1898 – September 11, 1981) was an American stage, radio, film and television actor. Early years Born in Homestead, Pennsylvania, of Irish descent, McHugh came from a theatrical family. His parents, Edward A ...

as Duffy *

Ruth Donnelly Ruth Donnelly (May 17, 1896 – November 17, 1982) was an American film and stage actress. Early years and family Born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Donnelly was the daughter of Harry Augustus and Bessie B. Donnelly. Her uncle, Freder ...

as Mrs. Emily Jones *

Hobart Cavanaugh Hobart Cavanaugh (September 22, 1886 – April 26, 1950 ) was an American character actor in films and on stage. Biography He was born in Virginia City, Nevada on September 22, 1886. Cavanaugh attended the University of California. He worked in ...

as Mr. Otis *

Ralph Ince Ralph Waldo Ince (January 16, 1887 – April 10, 1937) was an American pioneer film actor, director and screenwriter whose career began near the dawn of the silent film era. Ralph Ince was the brother of John E. Ince and Thomas H. Ince. Biogra ...

as G. W. "Butch" O'Neill *

Maude Eburne Maude Eburne (born Maud Eburne Riggs, November 10, 1875 – October 15, 1960) was a Canadian character actress of stage and screen, known for playing eccentric roles. Early years Eburne was born the daughter of John and Mary Riggs, in Bront ...

as Mrs. Ryan * George Cooper as Paymaster Mullins * Charles Wilson as Mr. Timberg

Reception

The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...

'' movie review said: "It is still possible to enjoy the old reliables in a mild way. Joan Blondell and Glenda Farrell, as the flip and caustic sisters of the chorus; Guy Kibbee, as the thick-skulled business man with a confused ambition to see life; Allen Jenkins, as the dead-pan gangster; Frank McHugh, as the perennial drunk who can slant in several directions at once; Ruth Donnelly, as the prim wife out of tank-town burlesque—they are staple commodities. They are amusing and likable players; they deserve a better fate than comedies like "Havana Widows". The new film is an aimless attempt to wring some new humors out of the breach-of-promise racket. Mr. Kibbee is the subject of the extortion scheme in which almost the whole cast is involved. The Misses Blondell and Farrell, down on their luck and badly in need of a grub-stake, arrange with Mr. McHugh for the amiable Mr. Kibbee to be found en déshabillé in a hotel room. Unfortunately, Miss Blondell loses her heart to the victim's handsome son. That confuses matters. Let "Havana Widows" rest there."

Home media

Warner Archive The Warner Archive Collection is a home video division for releasing classic and cult films from Warner Bros.' library. It started as a manufactured-on-demand (MOD) DVD series by Warner Bros. Home Entertainment on March 23, 2009, with the inten ...

released a double feature DVD collection of ''Havana Widows'' (1933) and ''I've Got Your Number'' (1934) on December 13, 2011.

References

External links

* {{Ray Enright 1933 films 1933 comedy films American comedy films American black-and-white films 1930s English-language films Warner Bros. films First National Pictures films Films directed by Ray Enright Films set in Havana Films set in New York City 1930s American films