''The Woman in Red'' is a 1935 American

drama film In film and television, drama is a category or genre of narrative fiction (or semi-fiction) intended to be more serious than humorous in tone. Drama of this kind is usually qualified with additional terms that specify its particular super ...

directed by

Robert Florey Robert Florey (14 September 1900 – 16 May 1979) was a French-American director, screenwriter, film journalist and actor. Born as Robert Fuchs in Paris, he became an orphan at an early age and was then raised in Switzerland. In 1920 he worked a ...

and starring Barbara Stanwyck and

Gene Raymond Gene Raymond (born Raymond Guion; August 13, 1908 – May 3, 1998) was an American film, television, and stage actor of the 1930s and 1940s. In addition to acting, Raymond was also a singer, composer, screenwriter, director, producer, and decorat ...

. Based on the novel ''North Shore'' by

Wallace Irwin Wallace Irwin (March 15, 1875 – February 14, 1959) was an American writer. Over the course of his long career, Irwin wrote humorous sketches, light verse, screenplays, short stories, novels, nautical lays, aphorisms, journalism, political sat ...

, the film is about a woman equestrian who meets and falls in love with a traveling polo player from a once wealthy family. After they are married, she is persuaded to entertain her friend's wealthy client aboard a yacht. The client accidentally drowns, and her friend is arrested for his murder. Determined to keep her name out of the press, the friend does not reveal that he has a witness who can prove his innocence.

Plot

Shelby Barret is a stable hand who rides show horses for snobbish wealthy widow Mrs. Nicholas, nicknamed Nicko. She meets Johnny Wyatt, the destitute son of a once-wealthy Long Island family who plays polo for Nicko. Nouveau-riche Gene Fairchild, a horseman who rides his own entries, is in love with Shelby, while Nicko is in love with Johnny, who has curried her favour. However, despite their efforts, Shelby and Johnny fall in love, and Nicko and Fairchild are jealous of their budding relationship. Nicko fires Shelby, which only encourages Johnny to leave her employ, and they elope to marry. Johnny brings Shelby home to Wyattville, the town named for his family, but his snobbish family does not approve of Shelby and treat her frigidly. They frown even more when the newlyweds start a business handling the horses of wealthy neighbours. Shelby had been expecting a loan from her grandfather in Kentucky to start the business, but when he is unable to provide the money, Shelby borrows from Fairchild without telling the proud but broke Johnny. Nicko soon shows up and starts gossip against Shelby, which does not help matters. When Johnny is away Fairchild invites Shelby aboard his yacht to help him entertain a wealthy client. She tries to contact Johnny, but when that fails she accepts the invitation. The client and his female companion, chorus girl Olga, show up drunk. Olga accidentally falls overboard and drowns, and Fairchild is accused of her murder. He intends to keep Shelby out of the case although it looks bad for him, while Shelby is afraid of scandal. While the case is in progress, with one of the ship's officers saying that he saw Fairchild leaving the ship with a mysterious "woman in red," the Wyatt family talk about the case. Shelby snaps and confesses that she is the woman in question. She shows up at the court at the last minute to provide witness. The Wyatt family also comes to the court to defend her, if only to protect the family name. Shelby tells the court it was her, and thus she saves Fairchild. She knows that in making her confession she is risking her marriage, and wonders whether Johnny will understand and forgive her, although she has done nothing to be forgiven for. Eugene proposes that Shelby divorce Johnny and marry him, but Shelby admits she still loves her husband. In the end, Shelby and Johnny are reconciled, and Johnny chooses her love over his family acceptance.

Cast

* Barbara Stanwyck as Shelby Barret Wyatt *

as John 'Johnny' Wyatt * Genevieve Tobin as Mrs. 'Nicko' Nicholas *

John Eldredge John Eldredge (born June 6, 1960 in Los Angeles) is an American author, counselor, and lecturer on Christianity. He is known for his best-selling book '' Wild at Heart''. Life and work Eldregde received his undergraduate degree in theater from ...

as Eugene 'Gene' Fairchild *

Phillip Reed Phillip Reed (born Milton LeRoy; March 25, 1908 – December 7, 1996) was an American actor. He played Steve Wilson in a series of four films (1947–1948) based on the '' Big Town'' radio series. Early years Reed was a star athlete at Er ...

as Dan McCall *

Dorothy Tree Dorothy Tree (born Dorothy Estelle Triebitz, May 21, 1906 – February 13, 1992) was an American actress, voice teacher and writer. She appeared in a wide range of character roles in at least 49 films between 1927 and 1951. Her roles includ ...

as Mrs. Olga Goodyear * Russell Hicks as Defense Attorney Clayton *

Nella Walker Nella Walker (March 6, 1886 – March 22, 1971) was an American actress and vaudeville performer of the 1920s through the 1950s. Biography The daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Charles Walker, she was born and raised in Chicago. In 1910, she marrie ...

as Aunt Bettina *

Claude Gillingwater Claude Benton Gillingwater (August 2, 1870 – November 1, 1939) was an American stage and screen actor. He first appeared on the stage then in more than 90 films between 1918 and 1939, including the Academy Award-nominated ''A Tale of Two ...

as Grandpa Wyatt *

Doris Lloyd Hessy Doris Lloyd (3 July 1891 – 21 May 1968) was an English–American film and stage actress. She is perhaps best known for her roles in ''The Time Machine'' (1960) and ''The Sound of Music'' (1965). Lloyd appeared in two Academy Award w ...

as Mrs. Casserly *

Hale Hamilton Hale Rice Hamilton (February 28, 1880 – May 19, 1942) was an American actor, writer and producer. Biography Hamilton was born in Topeka, Kansas in 1880. (His birth year is sometimes listed as either 1879 or 1883.) Hamilton's Broadway debut w ...

as Wyatt Furness *

Edward Van Sloan Edward Van Sloan (born Edward Paul Van Sloun; November 1, 1882 – March 6, 1964) was an American character actor best remembered for his roles in the Universal Studios horror films such as '' Dracula'' (1931), ''Frankenstein'' (1931), and ''T ...

as Prosecuting Attorney Foxall *

Forrester Harvey Forrester Harvey (27 June 1884 – 14 December 1945) was an Irish film actor. From 1922 until his death year Harvey appeared in more than 115 films. He was credited for about two-thirds of his film appearances, but some of his roles were un ...

as Mooney * Bill Elliott as Stuart Wyatt * Frederick Vogeding as Nels Erickson * Brandon Hurst as Uncle Emlen Wyatt * George Chandler as First Reporter (uncredited) *

Arthur Treacher Arthur Veary Treacher (, 23 July 1894 – 14 December 1975) was an English film and stage actor active from the 1920s to the 1960s, and known for playing English types, especially butler and manservant roles, such as the P.G. Wodehouse valet c ...

as Major Albert Casserly (uncredited)

References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Woman In Red, The 1935 films 1935 drama films American black-and-white films 1930s English-language films Films directed by Robert Florey American drama films 1930s American films Films scored by Bernhard Kaun Films based on American novels