Man Wanted (1932) Review

Danny Like BannerProof That It’s Pre-Code

  • When you watch Pre-Code films, it’s sometimes hard to realize just how disenfranchised women were during this time period. That’s because movies in that era went out of their way to give us strong female roles who did things like run a car company, function as a doctor, or, in this film’s case, be the lead editor on a magazine. And, the best part is, in this one our heroine not punished for being devoted to her job, and she’s damned good at it.
  • Of course, the heroine’s husband is a louse who engages in extramarital sex, but that’ll happen.
  • Big old goof Andy Devine claims that there hasn’t been any marriage in his family for three generations. Wait, didn’t he claim that back in Doctor Bull too?

The Particulars of the Picture

Man Wanted Kay Francis Man Wanted Una Merkel
Lois Ames…
Kay Francis
Tommy Sherman…
David Manners
Ruth Holman…
Una Merkel
Man Wanted Andy Devine Man Wanted Kenneth Thompson William Dieterle
Andy Doyle…
Andy Devine
Freddie Ames…
Kenneth Thompson
Directed by
William Dieterle

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