THE HOT HEIRESS

 

The main reason I watched this very strange and silly Pre-Code comedy is that Thelma Todd appears in it. Unfortunately Todd doesn't get much to do, as she plays the best friend of the leading lady. 

THE HOT HEIRESS refers to Juliette (Ona Munson), a young socialite who enjoys sleeping during the day in her swanky apartment. While she is doing this, a riveter working across the street named "Hap" Harrigan (Ben Lyon) ogles her through a window, and likes what he sees. A red-hot rivet happens to go through that window, and Hap comes to Juliette's rescue (a unique way of "meeting cute"). Juliette (inexplicably) falls for Hap, and as the two grow closer, they plan to be married. Their different social stations, and Juliette's family, are major barriers, but all comes out right in the end. 

THE HOT HEIRESS is proof that not all Pre-Codes are provocative and intriguing. It's a dopey story, blandly directed by one Clarence G. Badger (who I know nothing about). Ona Munson, the future Belle Watling of GONE WITH THE WIND, is cute enough, but her character isn't particularly interesting, and neither is Ben Lyon. One gets the feeling that rich Juliette is attracted to regular guy Hap mainly because she isn't supposed to. 

The rich girl--poor guy element of the plot is very predictable. The only thing that stands out about it this time is that Juliette at the end goes to great lengths to win Hap (usually it's the male that does that in a classic Hollywood movie instead of the female). There are a couple songs forced into the story that were written by Rodgers & Hart, but they don't make much of an impression. 

Ona Munson and Thelma Todd in THE HOT HEIRESS

Tom Dugan plays a fellow riveter, and Inez Courtney (who was a friend of Thelma Todd in real life) is her girl. The two of them are Hap's pals, and they make plenty of trouble for him as he tries to woo Juliette. Hap and his friends get invited to a ritzy party at Juliette's family manor, and, as expected, they act as lower class as possible. A very young Walter Pidgeon plays Juliette's snobby former beau, and the ubiquitous Holmes Herbert is Juliette's father. 

Other than seeing Juliette in her lingerie, and in a bathtub, there really aren't any Pre-Code type moments that stick out in THE HOT HEIRESS. Thelma Todd fans will be distinctly disappointed--she barely has any screen time, even though she still shows more charisma than most of the cast.