''Three Wise Girls'' is a 1932 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 ...

romantic drama film directed by

William Beaudine William Washington Beaudine (January 15, 1892 – March 18, 1970) was an American film actor and director. He was one of Hollywood's most prolific directors, turning out films in remarkable numbers and in a wide variety of genres. Life and car ...

and featuring

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 ...

in her first starring role. The supporting cast features a young

Andy Devine Andrew Vabre Devine (October 7, 1905 – February 18, 1977) was an American character actor known for his distinctive raspy, crackly voice and roles in Western films, including his role as Cookie, the sidekick of Roy Rogers in 10 feature fil ...

. This film is preserved in the

Library of Congress The Library of Congress (LOC) is the research library that officially serves the United States Congress and is the ''de facto'' national library of the United States. It is the oldest federal cultural institution in the country. The library ...

collection.

Plot

A young small-town woman heads to

New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the most densely populated major city in the Un ...

, where she and her two friends have romantic troubles.''Catalog of Holdings The American Film Institute Collection and The United Artists Collection at The Library of Congress'', by The American Film Institute, c. 1978

Cast

as Cassie Barnes *

Mae Clarke Mae Clarke (born Violet Mary Klotz; August 16, 1910 – April 29, 1992) was an American actress. She is widely remembered for playing Henry Frankenstein's bride Elizabeth, who is chased by Boris Karloff in ''Frankenstein'', and for being o ...

as Gladys Kane *

Marie Prevost Marie Prevost (born Marie Bickford Dunn; November 8, 1896 – January 21, 1937) was a Canadian-born film actress. During her 20-year career, she made 121 silent and sound films. Prevost began her career during the silent film era. She was d ...

as Dot * Walter Byron as Jerry Dexter *

as Jimmy Callahan *

Natalie Moorhead Natalie Moorhead (born Nathalian Morehead, July 27, 1901 – October 6, 1992) was an American film and stage actress of the 1920s and 1930s. She was known for distinctive platinum blond hair. Early years Moorehead grew up in Pittsburgh. ...

as Ruth Dexter *

Jameson Thomas Jameson Thomas (born Thomas Roland Jameson; 24 March 1888 – 10 January 1939) was an English film actor. He appeared in more than 80 films between 1923 and 1939. He was born in St George Hanover Square, London. On the stage from his earl ...

as Arthur Phelps * Lucy Beaumont as Mrs. Barnes * Kathrin Clare Ward as Mrs. Kane * Robert Dudley as Lem *

Marcia Harris Marcia Harris (born Lena Hill, February 14, 1868 – June 18, 1947) was an American actress. She appeared in 48 films between 1915 and 1932. She was born in Providence, Rhode Island, and as an amateur acted primarily in male lead roles wi ...

as Landlady * Walter Miller as Manager of Drugstore *

Armand Kaliz Armand Kali(s)z (October 23, 1882 or 1883 – February 1, 1941) was an American stage and film actor of the silent film and early sound period of the 1930s. Prior to that, he was an actor in vaudeville and on the legitimate stage. Career B ...

as Andre

Reviews

Variety Variety may refer to: Arts and entertainment Entertainment formats * Variety (radio) * Variety show, in theater and television Films * ''Variety'' (1925 film), a German silent film directed by Ewald Andre Dupont * ''Variety'' (1935 film), ...

'' Tuesday, February 9, 1932 "While the title might suggest an effort to adapt 'The Greeks Had a Word for Them,' this is based on a far older foundation which has been used at least once or twice each season for the past several years. Still seems to possess an appeal and stands a chance of reaching further down the line than the more sophisticated yarns because it essays to point a moral." ''Variety'' Tuesday, February 16, 1932 "Jean Harlow has often expressed a longing to play a 'good girl' In pictures, 'Three Wise Girls' (Beacon) grants her wish. In it she's just as good as good can be. But a good girl to picture audiences has to do more than act that way; she's got to look that way. However, it is a physical impossibility for Miss Harlow to assume the straight ascetic outlines which are the basis of virtue; to film audiences, her contours and manner of displaying them will never allow her to sneak into the good girl category no matter how sincerely she longs for it. Mae Clarke, who looks like a good girl and is cast for a bad one, and Marie Prevost, who doesn't aspire for a millionaire, but is happy with a chauffeur and a wedding band, complete the trio of girls laughingly called 'Wise' in this pleasant little yarn's title."

References

External links

* * * * 1932 films American romantic drama films American black-and-white films Columbia Pictures films Films directed by William Beaudine Films set in New York City 1932 romantic drama films 1930s English-language films 1930s American films {{1930s-romantic-drama-film-stub