Elsa Carlyle is impulsive and a gambler. Though loved by her husband Jeff, she's spoiled and selfish, concerned with social standing. Meanwhile, Jeff wants to stop spending while he completes business deals that could make them rich. One night, on a hunch, she bets and loses big at a casino, and then she doubles her problems with more impulsive decisions. Hardy Livingstone, a wealthy Casanova just back from the Orient, makes a play for her. Elsa dallies with Hardy, but soon, his insistence and her dire financial affairs seem destined to lead to adultery. Who's the cheat?
Acting
Bankhead's volcanic presence dominates every frame.
Costume
Livingstone's exoticized 'Oriental' aesthetic screams problematic wealth.
Director
George Abbott
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
Pre-Code Hollywood (1930-1934) permitted adultery, addiction, and moral ambiguity before the Hays Code censorship hammer dropped.
This was Bankhead's film debut; she'd already conquered Broadway and reportedly hated Hollywood, returning to theatre within two years.
US
