Three Wise Girls

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Three Wise Girls

I just saw this movie today for the first time on TCM and I must say it was a disappointment. The plot was thin and predictable and the acting was below par. How many "gee whizzes" and "swells" can one movie have? This movie was clearly made in Jean Harlow's pre-acting ability period, although she looks great (as usual). Even Mae Clarke (who I love) was pretty stiff in this one. And Marie Prevost, well, let's just say the studio must have been putting out a nice buffet at the time. I also can't understand why all those guys with the skinny mustaches were considered good-looking at the time. They all seem scary to me and plainly not worthy of Jean or Mae. A must see for Jean Harlow fans if for no other reason to check it off the list. Otherwise, not a great movie.

Interesting story of 3 girls in the big city, looking for some happiness with men. The picture depicts wealthy men as married cads and Mae Clark and Jean Harlow fall victim to this. Perhaps due to the nature of filming at that time, Harlow is very stiff here with a cold demeanor. Clark, shows some emotion, but would give better performances down the road. It's so true that the grass is always not greener down the road as this film tries to show. Are these girls caught up in the urban decay of the day? Everyone couldn't wait to leave the small town and make it big in the big city.

Directed by the prolific William Beaudine 'Three Wise Girls' is the soap opera story of three women who live in New York and the men in their lives. Jean Harlow as Cassie meets a married wealthy drunk and falls in love with him. Marie Prevost as Dot fancies the chauffeur of the wealthy drunk. Mae Clarke as Gladys is already in love with a married lawyer. The film portrays how wise the girls are or not. It's not a great film but it does benefit from three good performance by Harlow, Clarke and Prevost. The dialogue between the three is entertaining but less so with the men in their lives. The plot is predictable and the male leads dull but the three women shine in their roles. It's a matter of opinion but for me Mae Clarke does the best in a complex role. She has a natural screen presence that Hollywood shamefully under used.

Is Three Wise Girls a high point of spectacular American cinema? No, but that's not was I was expecting. I was expecting an entertaining movie and that's exactly what I got. I'm a huge Jean Harlow fan and was so excited to see a new (to me) movie of hers. I was not disappointed. While I don't think she sparkled on screen like she did in her later films, she gave a solid and completely believable performance. The plot was predictable, but well executed. I thought the character development was a bit thin, but that's to be expected from a movie that clocks in at just over one hour. (I actually love the short running times of some classic movies: that means you can watch more of them in an evening.) Three Wise Girls tells a story that's been told many times (small town girl moves to the city and has a rough time), but it tells the story well. And, most importantly, it tells the story with Jean Harlow.