Main Cast: Joan Crawford, Robert Taylor, Lionel Barrymore, Franchot Tone, Melvyn Douglas
Release Year: 1936
Country: US
Run Time: 102 minutes
Plot
The Gorgeous Hussy purports to be based on the life of Margaret "Peggy" O'Neill, the controversial wife of early 19th-century politician John Eaton, who served as cabinet minister during the Andrew Jackson presidency. Snubbed by the Washington elite because of her questionable background as a tavernkeeper's daughter, "Pothouse Peg" is championed by her longtime friend Jackson, who chooses to ignore the gossip-mongers and the scandal-provokers of the era. He even stands by Peggy's side when one of her admirers (Melvyn Douglas) is ignominiously killed by his enemies. Some historians believe that the "gorgeous hussy" and Jackson were themselves lovers, but this is never hinted at in the film, which is described in a foreword as "fiction founded upon historical fact." Joan Crawford wears an exhausting succession of gorgeous gowns as Peggy Eaton, but she can't do much to enliven her sketchily written role; one is aware that she brings disgrace to everyone she meets, but one is hard-pressed to understand why. Much better within the framework is Lionel Barrymore as Jackson, Beulah Bondi as "Old Hickory"'s pipe-smoking wife, Rachel, and Sidney Toler (two years away from Charlie Chan) as Daniel Webster. James Stewart is also in the film as one "Rowdy" Dow, a role he later chose to forget. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
Review
There's an interesting movie to be made from the life and times of Peggy O'Neal Timberlake Eaton -- but it's not to be found in The Gorgeous Hussy, a bowdlerized and fuzzy biopic of this controversial figure. Historically, the film is a lot of mush (which it admits with a strange note to that effect upfront), fictionalizing a romance between the title character and John Randolph that ends in death by duel (whereas the real Randolph died by natural causes and was in no way romantically linked with Peggy). Unfortunately, it's also a lot of mush dramatically. The Joan Crawford-Melvyn Douglas "unrealized romance" plot works fairly well, and the Robert Taylor sequence is fairly satisfactory; but once the story begins to revolve around how alienated Crawford is by Washington, D.C., society, it becomes silly -- mainly because the cause of that alienation isn't really delved into and explored in an interesting manner. The politics are ridiculously telescoped and simplified, and Crawford's character isn't made three-dimensional enough. For her part, Crawford tries hard, but she's miscast in the kind of role that Irene Dunne would have sailed through. Louis Calhern is annoying, playing his role as if he were the villain in an old-time melodrama, and James Stewart is surprisingly bland, but the rest of the cast is good. Lionel Barrymore has a grand old time, and Douglas' quiet understatement is very effective; but the best performance comes from Beulah Bondi, whose Rachel is both tender and touching, and touchingly vulnerable. ~ Craig Butler, All Movie Guide
Cedric Gibbons - Art Director, Val Raset - Choreography, Adrian - Costume Designer, Clarence Brown - Director, Blanche Sewell - Editor, Herbert Stothart - Composer (Music Score), George Folsey - Cinematographer, Joseph L. Mankiewicz - Producer, Stephen Morehouse Avery - Screenwriter, Ainsworth Morgan - Screenwriter, Samuel Hopkins Adams - Book Author
In 1823Washington, Major O'Neal and his daughter Margaret "Peggy" O'Neal run an inn that is frequented by politicians. Peggy's outspoken and astute opinions have earned the admiration of men such as Andrew Jackson and Daniel Webster. VirginiasenatorJohn Randolph, with whom Peggy is secretly in love, seems only to regard her as a child. When new inn resident "Bow" Timberlake refers to Peggy as a "tavern girl," however, John slaps him. Bow soon falls in love with Peggy himself and proposes, but she refuses, then goes to John's room one night to confess her love for him. He sends her away, thinking that she is too young and does not really mean it, but begins to have a change of heart. When he finally realizes that they are both in love, however, he learns from Bow that Peggy has finally consented to marry him. Peggy again talks to John about their future, but John again rejects her, thinking that the younger Bow would be a more suitable husband. Because he is an officer on the U.S.S. Constitution, Bow must leave for a three month tour of duty shortly after their wedding. When the Constitution returns to Washington, Peggy learns that Bow has died. In 1828, Jackson is elected president amid a campaign of mud slinging aimed at his beloved Rachel, whom he inadvertently married before her divorce from her first husband was final. Soon after the election, Rachel dies after asking Peggy to look after Jackson. Peggy then becomes the president's official hostess and confidant, causing many of the Washington political wives to gossip and snub her. At the same time, Jackson comes under political fire from Southerners such as Randolph, who feels he has turned against them by his stand on state rights. At a ball, Peggy is excited to see John after his five-year absence from Washington and asks him to dance with her before dinner. When her childhood friend, "Rowdy" Dow, wants to fight Southern senator John C. Calhoun because of an insulting remark about Peggy, however, she interrupts and asks him to dance instead. Seeing Rowdy and Peggy dancing, John returns home, but is followed by Peggy, who once again professes her love. This time, John admits his own love and the two plan to marry. Soon after telling Jackson what has happened, however, Peggy realizes that differing political views will never allow her and John to be happy, and they part. A short time later, Secretary of WarJohn Eaton, who has loved Peggy for years, proposes. She is fond of him, and believes, like Jackson, that marriage will bring her respectability. A year later, Rowdy comes to visit and tells Peggy that John Randolph has been shot and is near death. She asks Rowdy to take her to see her John, who was shot by Sunderland, a Southerner trying to prevent him from revealing to Jackson a proposed violent rebellion. John dies contentedly after Peggy's visit. On the way back to Washington, Peggy and Rowdy's coach is accosted by Sunderland, who demands safe passage to Washington in exchange for not revealing that he has seen them. Rowdy throws him out, but soon Jackson's cabinet members and their wives come to him to demand that Peggy be sent away from Washington. When Peggy arrives at the meeting, Jackson lies by saying she was sent to see John Randolph by him and that Rowdy was asked by John Eaton to accompany her. Jackson then demands the resignation of his entire cabinet, except for John. Finally, Peggy, who knows that even Jackson's kind lie will not lead to her acceptance in Washington, asks him to send John as the special envoy to Spain where she knows that they will find contentment.
Howard Barnes in the New York Herald Tribune noted, "In the title role Joan Crawford is handsome, although century-old costumes do not go well with the pronounced modernity of her personality. She makes of Peggy Eaton a straightforward and zealous figure....[A] show that is rich with trappings and accented by moments of moving intensity."
