Beauty for the Asking

Beauty for the Asking
Directed by Glenn Tryon
Produced by B. P. Fineman
Written by Doris Anderson and Paul Jarrico (screenplay)
Edmund L. Hartmann (story)
Grace Norton and Adele S. Buffington (idea)
Starring Lucille Ball
Patric Knowles
Donald Woods
Frieda Inescort
Music by Frank Tours
Cinematography Frank Redman
Editing by George Crone
Distributed by RKO Pictures
Release date(s) February 24, 1939
Running time 68 minutes
Country United States
Language English

Beauty for the Asking is a 1939 film drama produced by RKO Pictures, and starring Lucille Ball and Patrick Knowles.

It tells the story of Jean Russell (Ball), who becomes romantically involved with a wealthy married man (Knowles) who later spurns her. She later invents a new facial cream, and with the financial backing of her former lover's wife (Frieda Inescort), starts a business that makes her a millionaire.

Contents

Reception

RKO's pre-release publicity claimed that the film was to be an "exposé of the beauty racket" but reviewers of the day concluded that it was a standard "romantic love triangle".[1]

Recently Leonard Maltin has written favorably of the film, suggesting that the film offered an unusual feminist viewpoint for its time, and acknowledging that Ball delivered a strong performance.[2]

Cast

Notes

  1. ^ Jewell and Harbin, p. 128
  2. ^ Maltin, p. 93

References

External links