The Lady Refuses (1931)

The Lady Refuses is a rather little-known 1931 RKO pre-code melodrama.

It opens with a young woman walking the dark streets of London in the fog and she’s being shadowed by two policemen. They assume she’s one of the ladies of the night, although she seems very jumpy for a streetwalker.

Sir Gerald Courtney (Gilbert Emery) is waiting at home for the arrival of his son Russell (John Darrow). Russell is coming to dinner. Russell stays for a few minutes and then rushes off. Sir Gerald is hurt and disappointed. And worried, when he sees his son get into a car in which his latest floozy, Berthine (Margaret Livingston), is waiting.

He isn’t concerned that Russell is drinking and chasing women. Sir Gerald is a man of the world. He understands that Russell needs to sow a few wild oats. But Sir Gerald strongly disapproves of Berthine. He is sure that she is a gold digger (ands he’s right).

Then there’s a knock on the door. It’s that nervous woman we saw in the opening sequence. She tells Sir Gerald that the police are after her and begs to be allowed in. Sir Gerald doesn’t approve of the police harassing young women, even if they are streetwalkers.

And the young woman, June (Betty Compson) is indeed a prostitute. A very inexperienced prostitute. Sir Gerald suggests that she stay to dinner and he pours out his troubles to her. June is a whore but she’s a nice girl.

Since June is a prostitute Sir Gerald tells her that he would like to put in a bid for her services. No, not the usual services. He has something else in mind. He hopes to use June to lure his son away from Berthine.

Sir Gerald sets her up in a flat in the same building as Russell, and equips her with an expensive wardrobe. The trap is set, and since June is a very attractive young lady she soon attracts Russell’s attention.

Of course when you start playing games with people’s emotions you’re going to get complications. And in this case the complications are potentially devastating.

There’s plenty of pre-code naughtiness. There are open references to prostitution, and to illicit sex. The movie also takes aim at sexual hypocrisy. And the heroine of the movie is both a really sweet girl and a hooker. Once the Production Code started to be enforced she would have had to come to an unpleasant end to pay for her sins. But this was the pre-code era and she’s the most sympathetic and morally admirable character in the movie and she doesn’t apologise for being a prostitute.

It’s also a movie that doesn’t back away from the fact that life presents genuine moral dilemmas. Sir Gerald thinks he’s doing the right thing. June thinks she’s doing the right thing. But do they really have the right to manipulate Russell the way they do?

The movie’s attitude towards sex is casual and open-minded but of course when love enters the picture things can always get awkward.

Betty Compson as June is OK but a bit melodramatic. It’s a bit in the silent movie style.

At times the acting in general is rather mannered. More so than is usual for pre-code movies.

George Archainbaud directed and his approach is not exactly inspired. A better director could have done more with the subject matter.

This was made before the Production Code put storytelling into a straitjacket and the ending reflects this.

This is one of five pre-code movies included in Kino Lorber’s RKO Classic Romances DVD boxed set. The transfer is acceptable but not startling.

The Lady Refuses is a reasonably enjoyable romantic melodrama and its pre-code credentials cannot be questioned. It’s not one of the great pre-code movies but it’s worth a look. Recommended.