Beauty for the Asking

Lucy tells the story of a woman who is dropped by her fiance, but who goes on to bigger and better things. She takes on selling of her beauty cream, and parlays it into a multi-million dollar industry. She blusters he way into Jeff Martin's (Don Woods) office, and bullies him into helping her set up the business. they also get her ex-boyfriend and the new girlfriend involved for financial help in setting up the salon to sell the beauty products. The stress of having the "ex" involved is one of the sub-plots. It's also interesting that one of the characters is called Eve Harrington. Eve Harrington will also be the star of "All About Eve". Patric Knowles, Frieda Inescort co-star. It's mildly interesting, considering its based on a true story. Script could be a little stronger... i found it difficult to believe that so few people in the story would know that Denny was Jean's fiance originally. I think it would have been a pretty well-known fact. and this one has a bit of the back-stabbing wit that we see in "the Women" from 1939. Directed by Glenn Tryon. started as actor in the (silent) 1920s, did some writing. "Beauty" was one of the eleven films he directed in the 1930s and 1940s. and of course, Lucy would end up OWNING the RKO studio lots, as Paramount.

It starts like a formulaic 30s romance, but the female leads (Ball, Inescort, Courtney) play surprisingly savvy - though definitely fallible - women.

The male leads play their roles quite well, Patrick Knowles especially, but it's Ball and Inescort, and their relationship, that really stand out and make this movie well worth watching.

Even the beauty salon theme feels more honest and better thought-out than what you'd expect from a Depression-era rags-to-riches tale. Ball's character even emphasizes that good health is the key to beauty.

FWIW, I watched this (thank you, TCM) with someone who almost never has patience for old films, and she was hooked after about 20 minutes.

Beautician Jean Russell (Lucille Ball) gets dumped by Denny Williams who marries wealthy Flora instead. On top of that, she loses her job. She tries to launch her face cream with the help of ad man Jeffrey Martin. They get backing from Flora who doesn't know Jean's previous relationship with Denny. Denny has since become a kept man. Jean wants him to work again and puts him in charge.

This could work if Jean is more obsessive in her love for Denny. Lucille Ball may not have the range. She needs more desperation. She needs to be pathetic in loving such a jerk. She is too self assured to play that. If she has the desperation, she could break down and get saved by Jeffrey. That's the romantic move. That's the melodrama. As it stands, it couldn't reach quite that level. Also Lucille Ball is not using her funny bone. It's nice to see her do something else but this doesn't have much juice.

The beautiful Lucille Ball and she was back in her salad days gets jilted by Patric Knowles in Beauty For The Asking. Our heroine is down but not out. She manages to market the tricks of the beautician trade into a cosmetic empire and she can buy and sell Knowles and Frieda Inescourt the rich woman Knowles did marry.

Lucy does well in this role which has some comic and dramatic elements. But Knowles really comes out best in this story. Knowles was never a lead, he's probably best known as Will Scarlett in the Errol Flynn Robin Hood film. But he could occasionally be a villain and he does excel here.

Donald Woods is here, always reliable as the second lead. But he's always kind of bland and he really isn't given much to work with.

Lucille Ball fans should like this.

I enjoyed this movie. The review of it in "The RKO Story" was not very flattering and I was expecting something fairly dire. But I was surprised when I began to view it and felt compelled to watch it through.

While it does have a conventional story line and predictable ending, the acting is believable, the script is believable and the direction moves the story along. I enjoyed the efforts of the Lucille Ball character in getting to the top, and helping her counterpart in beautifying herself. The Lucille Ball role (and Lucille herself) reminded me of Ginger Rogers for some reason. I thought she was good as a woman struggling between heart and mind. I didn't go much for the Donald Woods character however - too sappy except for at the start.