Main Cast: Jean Harlow, Lionel Barrymore, Franchot Tone, Patsy Kelly
Release Year: 1934
Country: US
Run Time: 75 minutes
Plot
Originally titled Eadie was a Lady, this Jean Harlow vehicle was slated for release under the title Born to be Kissed, but the new Production Code vetoed this "suggestive" cognomen. After a brief and uncomfortable period as One Hundred Percent Pure, the film was finally shipped to theaters as The Girl From Missouri. Harlow plays Eadie, a sexy gold-digger who promises to remain chaste until she finds a wealthy husband. Travelling to New York in the company of her best friend Kitty (Patsy Kelly), Eadie manages to keep that promise, though for a while it looks as though she'll succumb to the charms of playboy T. R. Paige Jr. (Franchot Tone). Once Paige has proven that his intentions are basically honorable, Eadie must break down the resistance of T. R. Paige Sr. (Lionel Barrymore), who is dead-set against his son's romance and intends to frame the girl in a compromising position. She gets even with Paige Sr. by framing him, but there's still a couple of reels to go before the happy ending. Except for some provocative costuming, Jean Harlow's character is essentially decent, thereby "cleansing" some of the more risque elements of this enjoyable romantic comedy. The film's best line is delivered by Patsy Kelly who, when propositioned by an elderly roue, snarls "Look at this! Death takes a holiday!" ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
Review
B.G. DeSylva, Richard Whiting, and Nacio Herb Brown's naughty "Eadie Was a Lady" was of course composed with girls like Jean Harlow in mind. Or at least the kind of good-hearted broads Harlow plays in The Girl From Missouri, which was MGM's substitution title when the Hays Office censors nixed any reference to the song. The censors actually objected to more than the title, but somehow much of Anita Loos and John Emerson's racy screenplay was retained, including hints about a certain "white powder" and the strong suggestion that chorus girls like Eadie Chapman and Kitty Lennihan (Patsy Kelly) were little more than whores. Cuts were nevertheless made and as a consequence, MGM lost the film's original director, Sam Wood, along the way. The end result is quintessential Jean Harlow, or at least it was before the studio decided to tone down both her brassy hair color and corresponding personality. Lionel Barrymore, meanwhile, hams it up like only he could as Jean's first target, Franchot Tone, is sufficiently glib as the guy she eventually lands, and Patsy Kelly is, well, Patsy Kelly. ~ Hans J. Wollstein, All Movie Guide
Cedric Gibbons - Art Director, Adrian - Costume Designer, Jack Conway - Director, Tom Held - Editor, Dr. William Axt - Composer (Music Score), Ray June - Cinematographer, Bernard Hyman - Producer, Anita Loos - Screenwriter, John Emerson - Screenwriter
Eadie (Jean Harlow) runs away from her home in Missouri, where her stepfather had her working as a dance partner. On the train, she tells her man-hungry friend Kitty (Patsy Kelly) that she has ideals and plans to marry a somebody so she can accomplish something worthwhile.
She lands a job as one of the chorus girls entertaining guests at a party at the mansion of wealthy Frank Cousins (Lewis Stone). There, she manages to see Cousins alone; oddly, he offers her expensive gifts, but she refuses to accept them until they become engaged. She is surprised when he readily agrees. Unbeknownst to her, guest T.R. Paige (Lionel Barrymore) had just before refused to save Cousins from financial ruin. After Eadie leaves Cousins (with the expensive cufflinks he gave her), he shoots himself. However, the evening isn't a total waste to Eadie; she becomes acquainted with T.R. when she gets him to retrieve the cufflinks from her stocking before the investigating policeman can ask embarrassing questions.
Eadie visits her new friend at his workplace to thank him. When she says she has been fired and that she is determined to marry a rich man, an alarmed T.R. gives her some money and leaves for Palm Beach, Florida. Eadie and Kitty follow and visit T.R.'s office. Eadie is spotted in the waiting room by T.R.'s son Tom (Franchot Tone). Not knowing who he is, Eadie tries to brush him off, but he is very persistent. Eventually, she learns his identity, but remains cool to him, since it becomes clear that he is not interested in marriage. Tom finally manages to get her alone in his bedroom in the Paige mansion, but she defends her virtue and, to his surprise, he lets her go.
Tom tells his father that he wants to marry Eadie, despite her disreputable past. T.R. gives his blessing, but after Tom leaves, calls the district attorney. Tom tells Eadie they are going to get married. After he leaves however, a man sneaks into her apartment. Some photographers catch her in the stranger's arms and the district attorney accuses her of stealing Cousins' jewelry and jails her. When Tom and his father come to see her, she tells Tom that T.R. must have framed her, but Tom's father is much more persuasive and Tom breaks up with Eadie.
Tom's rival, the married Charlie Turner, bails Eadie out. For revenge, she sneaks into T.R.'s stateroom on the liner he and Tom are taking to London. She emerges unexpectedly, clad only in lingerie, and embraces a surprised T.R just as photographers take his picture.
Having been disillusioned, Eadie gets drunk and turns to Charlie Turner. However, Kitty keeps them from being alone together as long as she can. Tom arrives just in time, having changed his mind, and puts Eadie in the shower to sober up. T.R. follows. To save his reputation, he has told the press she was innocent of the theft and that she was married to Tom. He is also impressed by her fighting spirit. A quick wedding is arranged on the spot.
