Lady with Red Hair

1940
Approved
1h 18m

IMDb RATING

6.3/10

425

YOUR RATING

Claude Rains and Miriam Hopkins in Lady with Red Hair (1940)

A messy divorce leaves Mrs. Leslie Carter shunned by Chicago society for being an adulteress and forbidden from having custody of her son. She's determined to return to her hometown in a few years as a success and with enough money to fight to get her son back. In order to realize her plans, she heads to New York with ambitions of being a great actress. Despite having no stage training, producer David Belasco becomes attracted to her and becomes intent on making her a star, as well as winning her heart.

Play trailer2:17

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5 Photos

Biography Drama

A messy divorce leaves Mrs. Leslie Carter shunned by Chicago society for being an adulteress and forbidden from having custody of her son. She's determined to return to her hometown in a few... Read allA messy divorce leaves Mrs. Leslie Carter shunned by Chicago society for being an adulteress and forbidden from having custody of her son. She's determined to return to her hometown in a few years as a success and with enough money to fight to get her son back. In order to realiz... Read allA messy divorce leaves Mrs. Leslie Carter shunned by Chicago society for being an adulteress and forbidden from having custody of her son. She's determined to return to her hometown in a few years as a success and with enough money to fight to get her son back. In order to realize her plans, she heads to New York with ambitions of being a great actress. Despite having... Read all

See production info at IMDbPro

IMDb RATING

6.3/10

425

YOUR RATING

See production info at IMDbPro

Videos1

Trailer 2:17

Trailer

Photos5

Storyline

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Did you know

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Trivia
Louis Payne, the husband of Mrs. Leslie Carter in real life, coached Richard Ainley, who was playing him in the movie.

Goofs
None of the Broadway plays mentioned in the movie were performed by Mrs. Leslie Carter. Her Broadway debut was in a play called "The Ugly Duckling" in 1890, not "The Way of Beauty." Her second play was "Zaza," not "The Lady From France." It is not known why the names of her plays were changed.

Quotes
David Belasco: The scene is finished... either applaud or get out of the way.

Soundtracks
Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star
(uncredited)
Traditional
Played offscreen at the start of Miss Humbert's school sequence

User reviews13

Review

Featured review

7/10

Let's dissect it to bits

By all means, put your microscope up to this 1940 release and comment away. When I read reviews, it's as though people think the genre of realism should apply to all decades (and now centuries) and that any and all details that are omitted or distorted are qualifiers for finding fault. So much for entertainment for entertainment's sake.

I'm a real fan of Hopkins. I'm not a huge fan of 1920s or 1930s film, so my fascination with her is limited to the 1940s and beyond. Let's face it, she could deliver her lines as fast as a racing horse. And she excelled in doing so.

This is pure Hollywood fare. It flows as such. Tons of plot loopholes. Cliche dialogue. Over the top execution. Relax and enjoy. Stop over-analyzing.