Sharp, seductive, and emotionally guarded Tira (Mae West) is a lauded and much-adored circus performer. Her newest suitor, a married New York City socialite named Kirk Lawrence (Kent Taylor), showers her with gifts. Kirk's cousin, Jack Clayton (Cary Grant), goes to Tira to try and convince her to end the affair. The two fall for one another, but when love and happiness risk taking Tira from the stage, her boss plots to break off the engagement and shackle her to the circus forever.
Directed by Wesley Ruggles
Starring Mae West, Cary Grant, Gregory Ratoff, Edward Arnold
NR | USA | 1933 | 1h 27m
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About Pre-Code Hollywood Films:
‘Pre-Code’ Hollywood films are movies from the early 1930’s made before the "Hay's Code" imposed film censorship guidelines.
Between 1930 and 1934, desperately trying to lure depression era broke movie goers into theaters, Hollywood made films full of sex, violence, drinking (during prohibition), and grotesque and shocking material. During this brief period of early talkies and little censorship Hollywood studios created many films that challenged and transcended the "moral" and sexual boundaries of their times.
In 1934, in response to this salacious and perceived "immoral" material, the Legion of Decency was founded with the whole purpose of rating and restricting films for Catholic and Christian movie goers. This spilled over into a pre-MPAA regulatory code called The Motion Picture Production Code (also called the Hays Code). Often complex, and subject to interpretation, it became a game for producers to sneak things past the censors, who would often review scripts before production on a film even started.
