That Red-Headed Hussy: A Quirky Family Reunion (Maybe?)

Alright, so, should you watch That Red-Headed Hussy today? Yeah, probably. But you gotta be in the mood for it. This one's for folks who dig old-timey comedies, the kind where the whole plot could fit on a postcard. If you need explosions or deep philosophical chats, this ain't it. You'll likely just be bored. 😴

The setup is pretty simple. Alice, the titular 'hussy' (though she's really just a bit miffed), decides she's done with her husband. She bails and heads back to her folks.

Now, her parents, played by Anna Chance and Charley Grapewin, are the real stars here. They used to be vaudeville performers. And oh boy, does it show! They've got this wonderfully exaggerated way about them, even in their everyday chats. Every line feels like it's being delivered to the back row of a theater.

You know, the kind of parents who think a little theatrical staging can solve anything. And they decide Alice's marriage woes are just another act they need to direct. It's actually kind of sweet, in a weirdly meddlesome way.

Cinematic perspective: Exploring the visual vocabulary of That Red-Headed Hussy (1929) through its definitive frames.

Charley Grapewin, who also helped write this thing, really leans into the whole 'charming old ham' vibe. His character, the Father, has this twinkle in his eye, even when he's being completely manipulative. You can tell he's just having a blast trying to pull off his grand plan. He tries to look all serious, but a grin keeps trying to sneak out. 😄

The 'scheme' itself is where the movie finds its footing. It's not some elaborate heist. It's more like a series of increasingly silly attempts to make Alice (and eventually her husband) see things their way. Like, they're constantly dropping hints, staging 'accidental' encounters, and just generally being very obviously up to something. And Alice, bless her heart, is mostly oblivious. Or maybe she's just tired.

There's a scene where the mother is trying to 'accidentally' leave a letter where Alice will find it. It goes on a bit too long, with the mother fumbling and glancing around like a cartoon spy. You can almost feel the film winking at you, like, 'Yeah, we know this is silly, just go with it.'

Elinor Flynn as Alice is... well, she's the straight man to her parents' antics. She spends a lot of the movie looking annoyed or confused. Which, honestly, is probably how any adult daughter would react to parents like these. She's got this great exasperated sigh she uses a few times. It's quite effective.

Cinematic perspective: Exploring the visual vocabulary of That Red-Headed Hussy (1929) through its definitive frames.

The whole thing feels very much like a stage play transferred to film. You can practically hear the audience chuckling at the parents' over-the-top dramatics. The sets are simple, and the camera mostly just sits there, letting the actors do their thing.

It’s a light watch. No heavy lifting required. The humor is gentle, mostly coming from the sheer audacity of the parents. And the kind of cluelessness that only movie characters can have. One moment, I just loved how the father casually suggests some truly awful advice, then immediately contradicts himself. It's The Man Who Could Not Lose if the man was a meddling dad.

Look, it's not a masterpiece. It's not trying to be. But it's got a certain charm, a warmth to it. Especially if you appreciate how much fun the actors are clearly having.

The title, That Red-Headed Hussy, is a bit misleading too. Alice isn't really a 'hussy.' She's just a woman having a bad marriage day. It feels like a title picked to get people in the door, rather than one that accurately describes the main character. It's from a different time, I guess. 🤷‍♀️

So, if you're looking for something breezy, a little bit goofy, and a whole lot of old-fashioned theatricality, give it a shot. It's a nice escape for an hour or so. Just don't expect too much from the 'hussy' part of the title.