Date and Time
- Friday, Nov 7, 2025 2:30pm
Details
Special Features: Introduction by film historian Kim Luperi
With few exceptions, pre-Code Hollywood was a world dominated by predatory men, but FEMALE stands out as a rare reversal, featuring Ruth Chatterton as a powerful woman who turns the tables. As a ruthless auto executive by day, she uses her position to seduce and discard a series of male subordinates. Those who mistake her attention for affection are swiftly dispatched. Her latest target — played by Chatterton’s then-husband, George Brent — attempts to challenge her worldview, leading to unexpected complications. One of the few Hollywood films to let a female character wield sexual power on the same terms men often did, FEMALE still made space for glamour: Chatterton appears in nineteen different outfits. Though initially approved by the Production Code, the film faced heavy censorship, with key dialogue cut in major cities. The Legion of Decency condemned it, and by early 1935, FEMALE was banned from theaters nationwide. This presentation features the full film — uncut!
