The Woman I Stole is exactly as messy as it sounds

Should you watch this?

Honestly, only if you have a soft spot for pre-code era grittiness or just really need to see Fay Wray in a role that isn't running from a giant gorilla. If you’re looking for a warm, feel-good story, keep walking. This movie is mostly for people who enjoy watching guys in suits be terrible to each other for an hour.

Cinematic perspective: Exploring the visual vocabulary of The Woman I Stole (1933) through its definitive frames.

Jack Holt plays this character who is just so determined to be the bad guy, and it’s almost impressive. You can tell he’s having a blast being the guy who ruins everything. He wins his friend's wife in what I assume was a very awkward card game or some high-stakes bet, and the whole movie just kind of sits in that uncomfortable tension.

Cinematic perspective: Exploring the visual vocabulary of The Woman I Stole (1933) through its definitive frames.

There’s this weird scene where he’s talking about oil business, and you can tell the writers really wanted us to care about the market fluctuations. I didn't care. I just wanted to see if anyone was going to actually say something nice for once. Spoiler: they don’t.

Cinematic perspective: Exploring the visual vocabulary of The Woman I Stole (1933) through its definitive frames.

Fay Wray is doing the heavy lifting here, trying to make her character seem like more than just a prize on a shelf. Sometimes she succeeds. Other times, the script just kind of leaves her standing in the background while the men argue about pipelines or whatever. It feels like she deserved better, frankly.

Cinematic perspective: Exploring the visual vocabulary of The Woman I Stole (1933) through its definitive frames.

The pacing is a bit of a rollercoaster. It’s slow for twenty minutes, then suddenly there’s a big betrayal, then back to people standing in offices looking stern. It’s not exactly tight, but it’s watchable. It reminded me a bit of the vibe in The Splendid Sinner, where everyone is just kind of trapped by their own bad decisions.

Cinematic perspective: Exploring the visual vocabulary of The Woman I Stole (1933) through its definitive frames.

Odd things I noticed:

• The lighting in the office scenes is suspiciously moody for no reason.
• Someone in the background of the club scene is clearly just reading a newspaper and not even pretending to drink.
• The way they talk about money makes it sound like they’re discussing the fate of the world.
• The hats. Everyone has a very specific hat.

It’s not a masterpiece, and it probably wasn't meant to be. It’s just a movie about a guy who really, really needs to find a better hobby than stealing his best friend’s spouse. If you’ve seen The Sign of Four, you might appreciate the way this film tries to build suspense, even if it doesn't quite hit the same notes.

Basically, it’s a movie that doesn't care if you like the main character. And honestly? I kind of respect that. Even if he is a total jerk. 🤷‍♂️