Marked Woman (1937) ***

 

We've been watching some older movies lately, and this is an old Bette Davis movie that definitely deserves a viewing.

Davis plays Mary, a “clip-joint” hostess in a nightclub. She and the other hostesses are employed to cozy up to the male customers and get them to buy more drinks and spend more money. It is implied, but never said (due to Hollywood Production Codes), that the girls' duties may extend to entertaining the men outside the club as well. The pay is good, better than an uneducated girl like Mary could get anywhere else, even if she knows that the work will dry up as she gets older. When gangster Johnny Vanning takes over the club, though, the work gets uglier. Vanning turns the place into an illegal gambling den, and he and his boys play rough with anyone who crosses them. When this leads to murder, prosecutor David Graham (Humphrey Bogart) tries to put Vanning away, but first he has to convince Mary and the other hostesses to testify against their ruthless boss.

“Marked Woman” is a solid example of film noir, but it is not half as fascinating as the story on which it is based. The Vanning character is based on Lucky Luciano, a famous, New York crime boss who was jailed for running a prostitution ring. His prosecution, led by Thomas E. Dewey (on whom Bogart's character is based), hinged on the testimony of several of Luciano's prostitutes. Key to gaining the trust and testimony of those women was Dewey's assistant D.A., Eunice Carter, the first black woman to hold that post in New York. To prevent any corrupt cops from tipping off the bad guys, Carter put together a big, synchronized raid of all Luciano's brothels, and none of the officers was informed of the targets until minutes before the raid. To escape the charges, Luciano hid out in Hot Springs, Arkansas, but a New York detective who was there on an unrelated case spotted and recognized him.

Most noir films focus on a male character, with any female characters filling the role of either femme fatale or trusting wife. Even if there is a “hooker with a heart of gold,” she is usually a side character. “Marked Woman” focuses on Mary's journey and that of her fellow hostesses, making this a very feminist movie, especially for 1937. I was especially intrigued by the conversations the hostesses have about their job and life prospects outside the nightclub, and how Mary stands up for one of the hostesses who is starting to show her age. The case against Vanning relies heavily on Mary's testimony, but as a woman of ill-repute, there is doubt as to whether she will be believed. “Marked Woman” is about putting aside judgment of women like Mary and viewing them as real human beings.

3 stars out of 5