User reviews

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.

THREE WISE GIRLS (Columbia, 1932), directed by William Beaudine, is early Jean Harlow, vintage Columbia, and routinely made story dealing with three young girls (usually three) attempting to make good in the Big City, and the men who take part in their personal lives. Adapted from the story, "Blonde Baby" by Wilson Collison, there's nobody legally blonder than the platinum blonde baby herself, Jean Harlow (1911-1937), making her second and final feature presentation for Columbia. Though PLATINUM BLONDE (1931), her initial film for Columbia, is known mostly as an early Frank Capra directed comedy, THREE WISE GIRLS offers nothing really outstanding for Harlow except the opportunity in handling a leading film role for the first time.

Of the THREE WISE GIRLS, the story introduces Cassie Barnes (Jean Harlow), a small town girl living at home with her mother (Lucy Beaumont) and earning a living as a soda jerker for Lem (Robert Dudley) at the Chillicoale Drug Store. Finding that her good friend, Gladys Kane, has found success away from the town they grew up in, Cassie decides to follow suit by quitting her job and moving to New York City. Sharing an place with Dot (Marie Prevost), who supports herself addressing envelopes in their apartment, Cassie, soon meets Jerry Wilson (Walter Byron), a drunken millionaire, at the drug store. After quitting her third soda jerking job since moving to the city, Jerry, in good faith, takes Cassie home in his limousine. Later, Cassie comes to meet with Gladys (Mae Clarke), whom she hasn't seen in three years, at her place of work. Learning of her unemployment situation, Gladys arranges her employer, Andre (Armand Kaliz) to use Cassie as one of the models at $60 a week. As Cassie becomes romantically involved with Jerry, her situation soon patterns that of Gladys' courtship with Arthur Phelps (Jameson Thomas), a rich banker with eyes on Cassie, while Dot takes an interest in Jerry's chauffeur, Barney Callahan (Andy Devine). Complications soon take its toll for one of the "three wise girls."

Brief (67 minutes), and to the point, THREE WISE GIRLS limits itself of character introduction and plot development by presenting what it needs to be addressed without any drawn-out scenes. For Jean Harlow's first starring role, she's not bad. Her acting technique would improve greatly following her move to Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, the studio where all her future films were made, with comedy being her finest contribution to the motion picture industry. Harlow's Cassie is sometimes sassy, but mostly on the serious side. She's unlucky when it comes to men as evidenced in the opening scene that has her walking home alone from a date she abandoned some miles down the road. She later loses her jobs due to some overly aggressive bosses. Regardless of setbacks, Cassie will not give up her dream to make it on her own. As for the co-stars, Mae Clarke, the secondary character living in a luxurious penthouse, comes off best with her natural flare of acting, with advise of not ending up "behind the eight ball"; while Marie Prevost, the third "wise girl," with little to do except being the funny member of the trio with the most common sense. Andy Devine, the one in chauffeur's uniform, is almost unrecognizable here, speaking only a few lines of dialog, none which have that recognizable trademark raspy voice for which he's known. Walter Byron, sometimes classified by film historians as a poor man's "Ronald Colman," does satisfactory work as a millionaire with his distrust for women, but would drift to uncredited parts by the end of the decade. Others in the cast include Natalie Moorehead (Rita Wilson), Katharine Clare Ward (Mrs. Kane), and Marcia Harris as the no-nonsense landlady.

With the exception of sporadic reissues in revival movie houses in New York City during the 1970s and 80s, THREE WISE GIRLS remains a seldom seen Harlow product. Though this time filler made its way on cable television's Turner Classic Movies July 10, 2009, one can only hope for revivals of other extremely rare Harlow finds as THE Saturday NIGHT KID (Paramount, 1929), GOLDIE (Fox, 1931) and THE IRON MAN (Universal, 1931) to become part of a television broadcast package. (**)

Jean Harlow plays a nice girl who is not willing to sell herself to get ahead. When her bosses try to sexually harass her, she quits--she's just not that sort of girl. So, in light of this, it's surprising when she meets and dates a nice guy--only to discover that he's already married and his estranged wife won't give him a divorce. At the same time, Harlow's friend (Mae Clark) is in a similar situation but her married boyfriend is less than honorable.

The idea of a girl dating a married man is something you just wouldn't have seen two years later--after the Production Code was strengthened and eliminated plot elements such as adultery, premarital sex or extreme violence (among others). However, despite the film trying to justify Harlow's dating a married man, the film is not nearly as salacious as some of the more notorious Pre-Code films, such as Harlow's RED-HEADED WOMAN--a film you just need to see to believe.

Overall, this is a pretty good little film despite the less than stellar and inconsistent message about morality that the film delivers. Good acting, a decent story and enough twists and turns to keep it interesting make this a good Pre-Code film.

By the way, the other "wise girl" is Marie Prevost who was included mostly for comic relief. Also, if you really care, Chillocothe is a small town in rural southern Ohio. It's best known today as a town with prisons!

Jean Harlow had top billing and gave a good performance in this one, playing a small-town girl who goes to New York to seek her fortune. I found it refreshing to see her in a more virtuous role; she not only shows her range, but her character is strong, and stands up for herself when hit on by men. At the same time, her magnetism and sex appeal shine through, helped along by some modeling and pre-Code lingerie scenes. She finds out the rich guy she's been seeing is married and wants to end it, particularly after having seen what a similar situation has done to her friend, played well by Mae Clark (who you might remember as having been with Harlow the previous year in 'The Public Enemy', and getting a grapefruit stuffed in her face by James Cagney). The last of the 'wise girls' is Marie Prevost in the role of her roommate, who points out the flipside, hey, it's nice to eat something other than liverwurst by seeing a guy with some money, and breaks off a few other funny lines in the film. The movie is quite brisk at 68 minutes, maybe too brisk in a couple of ways (such as Mae Clark's fate), but it's worth watching, particularly if you're a Harlow fan.

It's early Harlow in a role that doesn't require her signature sparkle. Still, there's enough shine to get noticed. The movie itself is nothing special, reminding me a bit of a cut-rate Gentlemen Prefer Blondes (1953). Here shapely working-class girls Clarke and Harlow try to satisfy their hearts' desire by marrying well; at the same time, they must dodge the inevitable mashers. Seems however their rich gentlemen already have wives, so that becomes a problem. Still, we get to see Harlow wiggle in and out of costumes in what would become part of her appeal. Have to say I didn't recognize the familiar Andy Devine under all that chauffeur's uniform. Too bad he didn't get more screen time. Then there's Marie Provost, the wise-cracking third girl, whose rather chubby figure presaged an eventual tragic end (IMDB), cutting short a promising Patsy Kelly-type career.

There's one really jolting scene that's sneaky as heck. Broken hearted, Gladys (Clarke) peers down from stories above street level. We think we know what she's planning, but as it turns out, we don't. Anyway, it's a really well thought-out sequence in an otherwise unexceptional screenplay. All in all, the 60-some minutes amounts to a good look at a pre-celebrity Harlow, along with Mae Clarke, who at least doesn't have to eat grapefruit courtesy Jimmy Cagney.

Jean Harlow stars in "Three Wise Girls," a 1932 precode with Mae Clarke, Marie Provost, and Walter Byron.

Harlow is a flashy, brassy-looking blond named Cassie making $15 a week in her home town and fighting off men. She's finally had it and moves to New York, where a friend helps her get a job as a model in a dress shop. There she meets a man, Jerry (Walter Byron), a man with money who takes her out and treats her well and respectfully. She falls for him. Then she finds out that he's married. Well, he is and he isn't. While her friend Gladys (Clarke) is in love with a married man and living off of him, Jerry and his wife aren't together. She's always telling him she has to approve of his new intended before she'll grant a divorce. So it's not quite the same thing.

Cassie, however, doesn't stick around long enough to hear what he has to say and no matter what, she's distrustful enough of men that she won't believe him. She decides that perhaps she had better go back home.

Good movie, but the other two girls take a back seat, and one, the Clarke character, isn't exactly wise. Marie Provost is the comic roommate who falls for Jerry's chauffeur (Andy Devine).

Jean Harlow is, as she always was, adorable -- vulnerable, warm, childlike, and she looks smashing in the gowns she models. She could look for all the world like a femme fatale, but there was always a sense of fun and something too sweet about her to be trashy or dangerous. A very special presence, and one lost to cinema way too early.

One of the problems is that the type of leading man in this particular movie -- older-seeming, mustached, and wooden -- considered so devastating by these characters, has gone way out of style today. So it's hard to look at one of them and see the appeal other than money.

Well worth seeing for the magical Harlow.

Slight Pre-Coder with Three Engaging Leading Ladies. Jean Harlow, Mae Clarke, and Marie Prevost. Only One would Survive Hollywood into Old Age, Ms.Clarke. Harlow's Early Exit is Legendary, and Prevost was Immortalized by Kenneth Anger In the Book Hollywood Babylon and in a New Wave Pop Song by Nick Lowe.

For Pre-Coders there are Numerous Scenes of the Scantily Clad Actresses (except for the rotund Marie) in Varying Degrees of Undress and the Plot is Ripe with Adultery and Free Thinking. Just for Measure, there is a Suicide.

Not Much of a Movie, Most Notable as Jean Harlow's First Starring Role, but She is a bit Stiff, but Pretty and Very Upright and Brooding. Mae Clark and Marie Prevost do Shine in Their Respective Roles as a Troubled Mistress and Fast Talking Pal.

Prolific Director William Beaudine is at the Helm Without Much Style, but as Always He gets the Job Done with Efficiency.

Worth a Watch for Pre-Code and Harlow Completest but the Movie Really doesn't Offer Much for Either Enthusiast. It Goes to Some Length to be Socially Relevant and Deliver a Message to Female Depression Era Working Stiffs. What Message that is May be Up for Debate.

In her last film before she signed her MGM contract, Jean Harlow starred in Three Wise Girls along with Mae Clarke and Marie Prevost for Columbia. If this sounds familiar Warner Brothers was also doing Three On A Match around the same time and it had some similar plot elements.

While Prevost seems to have a really good deal working at home sending out letters with advertisements for various companies both Harlow and Clarke get themselves involved with married men, for one of them it turns out really bad. Prevost seems to have the right idea.

Playing opposite Harlow is Walter Byron who had a run of minor popularity in silent films, but whose career gradually petered out in sound films. He sounds like George Brent in his speech pattern and voice, but looks like Charley Chase. I'm betting that's why he didn't succeed in sound.

This film was filled with tragedy with both Harlow and Prevost dying way too young within six years. Three Wise Girls is far from the best work of these fatally star crossed actresses.

THREE WISE GIRLS has long been, with GOLDIE (1931), the rarest Jean Harlow starring film. For decades the few Harlow fans that had seen it basically only had access to a washed out, rather unwatchable print which made the whole cast look like ghosts. When Turner Classic Movies starred airing rare Columbia Pictures talkies in 2008, Harlowheads had their fingers crossed that one day they just might get around to this elusive film and that day finally aired on July 10, 2009 with a near-excellent print revealing this modest little programmer is one of Jean Harlow's best pre-MGM performances and one of her all-time most appealing characters.

Jean stars as Cassie, a virtuous small town girl who supports her mother on her salary as a soda jerk. Mom is proud of her daughter but can't help but be a little envious of her friend whose daughter Mae Clarke sends home big bucks from New York. When the whole town notices the automobile Mae's mom gets, Jean decides check out the big city herself. Reunited with her friend Mae, Jean is still very much a small town innocent ("I think she still believes in Santa Claus", a warm, amused Mae quips to her beau) but soon learns about the perils of metropolitan life for a sexy young woman as she is pursued by wealthy Walter Byron who isn't quite divorced from his chic socialite wife Natalie Moorhead , and well as having to fend off advances from the married man Mae is supported by. A regretful Mae advises Jean not to take "the easiest way" to financial comfort but Jean's plump, work weary roommate Marie Prevost tells her to go for it.

As you might presume by my IMDb moniker, I can hardly be unbiased about Jean Harlow but I am rather level-headed and I think she was a sensational screen personality and an quite an excellent movie actress and this little picture shows she could deliver the goods even before the big MGM buildup later that year. For a young woman who was hotly publicized as the most erotic sex siren on the screen, she is totally credible and believable as this good girl who does not want to give in to immorality. Jean is outstanding. Mae Clarke has a unusually glamorous role for her as the chic model who couldn't quite be so pure and is is equally excellent in a sympathetic part as an intelligent young woman who made bad decisions. Marie Prevost, once a silent movie glamour girl, plays the character part of the wisecracking man-hungry plump and plain girl of the type that would later be a Patsy Kelly specialty. The two male leads are acceptable albeit totally locked into the era with their oiled-up hair and pencil mustaches although Walter Byron is rather appealing as Jean's married man, a good guy who lives to regret his abandoned marriage to Natalie Moorhead. Moorhead is always a treat to see in early talkies where she was typecast as a wealthy, often amoral, clotheshorse, her part in this movie is quite small but she's still good.

The title THREE WISE GIRLS is perhaps deliberately ironic as only one of our heroines truly has her head on straight but all three actresses shine in this film, most especially the beautiful and bewitching iconic film legend Jean Harlow.

Bored with her small-town job as a "soda jerker," sexy platinum blonde Jean Harlow (as Cassie Barnes) moves to exciting New York City. For obvious reasons, Ms. Harlow is treated like a sex object. Propositioned by boss number three, Harlow is rescued by drunken Walter Byron (as Jerome "Jerry" Wilson). After sobering up, Mr. Byron seems like the perfect mate for Harlow. He's wealthy, proper and attentive. Unfortunately, Byron is also married. Harlow is soon reacquainted with childhood friend Mae Clarke (as Gladys Kane), who models underwear (and other clothing). She is having a relationship with a married man. Harlow's roommate Marie Prevost (as Dot) is looking for a man...

"Three Wise Girls" focuses on one Jean Harlow, but the other women have the better roles. Harlow commands the screen when she undresses - and director William Beaudine gets in several scenes with Harlow and Ms. Clarke in stages of undress. Harlow's figure is generously displayed. A "silent" star said to be victimized by the microphone, Ms. Prevost is noteworthy in a character role. Able to command the screen without taking off her clothes, Prevost sounds fine. She's looking for a plumber, but will settle for chauffeur Andy Devine. Clarke's subplot is the dramatic highlight. Unfortunately, Harlow's figure and her scene-stealing supporting cast don't make the main story more engaging.

***** Three Wise Girls (1/11/32) William Beaudine ~ Jean Harlow, Mae Clarke, Marie Prevost, Walter Byron

Three Wise Girls (1932)

** 1/2 (out of 4)

Jean Harlow plays the good girl who moves from a small town to New York City to make some big cash to help give her mom a better life. Once in the big city she quits three jobs because the bosses keep wanting more than just work. She meets an old friend (Mae Clarke) and is disgusted to learn that she is dated a married man. Soon Harlow meets a man (Walter Byron) of her own but after falling in love she finds out that he too is married. This is a rather strange Pre-Code from Columbia that pretty much tries to explain why it's okay to date married men. This topic certainly wouldn't be made into movies within the next couple years as the Hayes Office would put their foot down on any type of subject like this one. What makes the film work are the performances, which are pretty good with Harlow stealing the film as the naive blonde who doesn't really know what all life has to offer. Harlow is quite believable as the innocent, sweet girl and it shows she could play more than just vamps. Byron is also quite good as the poor sap stuck in a worthless marriage. He brings quite a bit of charm to the role and makes for a very like able character. Clarke is decent but pretty much wasted in the supporting role as is Marie Prevost as the "third" girl. Andy Devine is also wasted in a small supporting role, although he manages to get a couple nice laughs. The sexual innuendo is certainly on display her certainly early on as Harlow is undressing and constantly bending down with a rather loose top on. The film is certainly very predictable but director One Shot keeps things moving at a nice pace. The ending is one you'll see from a mile away but it's handled very well.

I'd expect better from the pen of Robert Riskin.

The idea is laudable but the execution is is lamentable. It's utterly predictable and made worse by the predictably awful acting from Jean Harlow. With so much talent around in that era I am perpetually perplexed as to how Jean Harlow ended up being such a mega star. Somehow she did and was loaned out to Columbia to make this dull, cheaply made film even worse.

The theme, as I said is quite worthy. It's essentially outlining how a lot of young women in The Depression survive - as the song goes: ever since the world began, a woman's got to have a man. Hard to imagine these days and almost uncomfortable to accept this but that was how it was certainly for poorer women, they NEEDED to get a man. A husband or just as acceptable or maybe that should be just as accepted, a rich married man. Within this context, this film makes much more sense but it still doesn't make it entertaining....and it's still got Jean Harlow trying to act (o.k. Mustn't be unkind, she did do a few good films later in her career)

Cassie (Jean Harlow) works in a coffee shop, but is sick of putting up with the drunks that come in....its only 1932, so things are still allowed to be a little on the rough side. She leaves that job and goes to visit her friend Gladys, who may be able to get her a job as a model at Andre's (Armand Kaliz) dress shop. Gladys introduces Cassie to the dashing "Arthur" (Jameson Thomas) and "Jerry" (Walter Byron), where things start to heat up. Good story, good acting by all. The story really isn't that original, but with such a professional job done by all involved, its quite enjoyable to watch. Viewers will catch Andy Devine in one of his early CREDITED roles as the chauffeur.. he will go on to play larger, funnier roles. Shortie from Columbia Pictures, at just 68 minutes. The only really risqué part is when one of the girls spends some time talking about a weenie that's cooking on the stove. I guess at the time, seeing a married man was also a huge taboo subject for films, or would be when the film code started being enforced. Story by Wilson Collison, who had also written the "Maisie" series, and "Mogambo", which starred Clark Gable. "Three Wise Girls" is directed by William Beaudine, who had been making films since 1915... he must have been standing there when the camera was invented; his bio says he was assistant to D.W. Griffith, so he certainly learned from the best. Lots of little connections here... Harlow and Gable would make six films together in the 1930s.

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.

This film from early 1932 is a delight, both for the simple but well played-out story and for the pleasure of watching these actors move seamlessly and expressively through their work in this relatively early "talkie." Ms. Harlow displays multi-faceted acting skills that serve to make her radiant presence even more alluring. The story catapults forward without any meanders, and because of this does not really reveal satisfactorily why Harlow became so smitten by her man.; but it really doesn't matter, I guess, because the story is concerned foremost with ramifications of having bonded and not with the details of the bonding having developed. Mae Clarke, who was really busy in pictures in the early 1930's, is captivating in her portrayal, as well. Life in the various domiciles and places of business is captured well, too.

This is a highly enjoyable film.

I might add in collateral conclusion that the "top review" here gives essentially everything away so that one hardly needs to see the movie itself for a purely entertainment experience. I expect that many visitors to the site look at reviews before deciding to view a film or to make the upcoming viewing experience more enjoyable. I used to think that the "spoiler alert" was sufficient to keep one away from spoilers but learned through experience that it is better to just check the collective rating points and consider the players when deciding whether to see a picture or not. Reading a "non-spoiler alert" review can give one way too much unwanted knowledge beforehand!

And while I am at it, may I add that every review on IMDb does not need a thorough plot rundown? I don't know why most reviewers offer their own thorough interpretations of the movies' stories, but I doubt neither prospective viewers nor finished viewers need to see the story in detail in every review. A 25- or 30-word description is all I need to know if a picture is of interest to me, not a 140-word detailed plot relation with every twist, turn, and plot complication.

Anyway, please enjoy these "Three Wise Girls."

This film is the first time Jean Harlow has a starring role. It is a good thing they cast her in the film because she knocks it out of the park! She is perfect for the role. Harlow could have easily made this into a "piece of fluff" which is what the film seems to be destined for, but once she starts playing her part, she takes a "one note" character and fleshes her out into an amazing portrayal.

The plot has been over done and I was disappointed when the film began thinking it was another "girls in the city trying to find a rich husband" concept. But it is not that. And it is NOT that because of Harlow.

Three girls, Harlow, Mae Clarke, and Marie Prevost navigate life in the big city. Harlow's motivation at first was to get out of a small town and make a future for herself by landing a good job. Mae Clarke is wasted in the this film as a girl who is in love with a man who pours money onto her while having a wife too. And, finally, Marie Prevost is a plump comic relief that yearns for a man (any man) and can't understand why Harlow does not use her looks more to get ahead.

The men in the film don't come off very well. Harlow encounters some fawning cads who she trusts at first, but almost they instantly turn into wolves when she is alone with them. She is alluring but Harlow never uses that to get ahead.

Great film. Great job by Harlow. I think she is going to be a big star one day!!

Check out this Classy Classic!!

When we think of screen presence, with the benefit of a century of film, we immediately turn to superstars like John Wayne of the 1950s & '60s, or Harrison Ford in the 1970s & '80s. The visual impact of Ginger Rogers on those legendary Big White Sets at RKO, whether seen on a tv, or a monitor, or in nitrate on the big screen, is one of the splendors of the world. Elizabeth Taylor, Jean Simmons. Modern viewers tend to think of Jolie and Pitt and Dwayne Johnson as examples and certainly they have it in abundance. Brad Pitt as Achilles is iconic; Ford as Indiana Jones in the jungle; few actors can match the thrilling spectacle of John Wayne in battle on horseback, turning his torso toward the camera as he flashes past, guns blazing. Very fine actors like Montgomery Clift, Dennis Hopper, James Caan have all talked about the daunting challenge they faced, just to stay on the screen across from Wayne.

Nevertheless, it is quite probable that Jean Harlow had the greatest screen presence in the history of film. It would be years before Columbia learned how to present the kind of high quality glamour shots that RKO developed with Rogers, and which were expanded and improved upon to display those later superstars in all their glory. There is none of that level of camera work, direction, set design, or lighting to be found in this 1932 movie. Harlow truly didn't need them.

Mae Clarke was quite a beauty but she disappears in every scene she has here, completely overpowered by the translucent radiance of Jean Harlow.