Lady with Red Hair

Lady with Red Hair
Lady with Red Hair
Directed by	Kurt Bernhardt
Written by	Mrs. Leslie Carter (memoirs); Brewster Morse (story); Norbert Faulkner (story); Charles Kenyon (screenplay); Milton Krims (screenplay)
Produced by	Edmund Grainger; Bryan Foy; Jack L. Warner
Starring	Miriam Hopkins; Claude Rains; Richard Ainley; Laura Hope Crews
Cinematography	Arthur Edeson
Edited by	James Gibbon
Music by	Heinz Roemheld
Production; company	Warner Bros.
Distributed by	Warner Bros.
Release date	November 30, 1940;
Running time	78 minutes
Country	United States
Language	English

Lady with Red Hair is a 1940 American historical drama film directed by Curtis Bernhardt and starring Miriam Hopkins, Claude Rains and Richard Ainley. Released by Warner Brothers it stars Hopkins as the nineteenth century actress Mrs. Leslie Carter.^[1] Future star Alexis Smith made her screen debut in a small role.^[2]

The film's sets were designed by the art director Max Parker.

Plot

When Caroline Carter is divorced by her wealthy husband, she also loses custody of her son Dudley in the proceedings. Down on the ground she decides to win her fortune and son back. She leaves Chicago for New York to become an actress and tries to get acquainted to the theatrical producer David Belasco.

Belasco just wants to get rid of Caroline and promises to write her a play to get her out of his office. He has no intention of giving her work, but when she ultimately confronts him on the matter several months afterwards, he tries to get her a part in a show.

He succeeds, but the show is a failure, and instead Caroline decides to marry an actor living at the same boardinghouse, Lou Payne. Belasco tries to stop her from domesticating too soon, and take a part in another show instead. This show is a success on Broadway and Caroline eventually gets an opportunity to return to Chicago to perform. However, her triumph is stained by the fact that she has grown apart from her son.

Caroline goes on to perform in both America and Europe and in lack of a family she is consumed by her career. After some time she decides to go back to Payne and marry him. Belasco gets jealous and punishes her by not letting her work with him anymore.

Caroline pursues a career on her own, but her ambitions are thwarted by a series of unsuccessful shows. Payne eventually convinces Belasco to start working with Caroline again, and the duo reconciles.^[3]

Cast

Miriam Hopkins as Mrs. Leslie Carter
Claude Rains as David Belasco
Richard Ainley as Lou Payne
Laura Hope Crews as Mrs. Dudley
Helen Westley as Mrs. 'Ma' Frazier
John Litel as Charles Bryant
Mona Barrie as Mrs. Hilda Brooks
Victor Jory as Mr. Clifton
Cecil Kellaway as Mr. Chapman
Fritz Leiber as Mr. Foster
Johnnie Russell as Dudley Carter
Selmer Jackson as Henry DeMille

Uncredited

Alexis Smith as Girl at Wedding
Cornel Wilde as Mr. Williams
Maris Wrixon as Miss Annie Ellis
Doris Lloyd as Teacher at Miss Humbert's School
Lillian Kemble-Cooper as London Party Guest
Halliwell Hobbes as Divorce Judge
Creighton Hale as Reporter Eddie

References

^ "Lady with Red Hair (1940)". IMDb.com. Retrieved 25 August 2017.
^ Bubbeo p.214
^ "Lady with Red Hair (1940) - Overview - TCM.com". Archived from the original on 2013-12-30. Retrieved 2013-12-30.

Bibliography

Daniel Bubbeo. The Women of Warner Brothers: The Lives and Careers of 15 Leading Ladies, with Filmographies for Each. McFarland, 2001.

External links

Lady with Red Hair at IMDb
Lady with Red Hair at AllMovie
Lady with Red Hair at the TCM Movie Database
Lady with Red Hair at the AFI Catalog of Feature Films

[1] "Lady with Red Hair (1940)". IMDb.com. Retrieved 25 August 2017.

[2] Bubbeo p.214

[3] "Lady with Red Hair (1940) - Overview - TCM.com". Archived from the original on 2013-12-30. Retrieved 2013-12-30.

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