This week’s “unsuitable” mystery movie was the 1933 Warner Bros. film Lady Killer, with James Cagney, Mae Clarke, Margaret Lindsay, Leslie Fenton, Douglas Dumbrille, Russell Hopton, Raymond Hatton, Henry O’Neill, Robert Elliott, Marjorie Gateson, Willard Robertson, William Davidson and Douglas Cosgrove.
Screenplay by Ben Markson and Lilie Hayward.
From the story “Finger Man” by Rosalind Keating Shaffer.
Edited by George Amy.
Art direction by Robert M. Haas.
Photographed by Tony Gaudio.
Gowns by Orry-Kelly.
Vitaphone Orchestra conducted by Leo F. Forbstein.
Directed by Roy Del Ruth.
Further information on Lady Killer is available from the AFI Catalog.
The pressbook for Lady Killer is online via Lantern.
Lady Killer is available via streaming on Amazon.
::
I was curious about any movie that received such an “unsuitable” rating. In fact, Harrison’s Reports calls it “terrible for children, adolescents or Sundays.” The first half of the movie is definitely earthy and frank, but the Hollywood behind the scenes story is far more typical. The joining of the two stories is quite odd; as if two unrelated stories were jammed together into a script.
I’m guessing that Mordaunt Hall did not approve of Lady Killer:
Winner! (The New York Times, January 1, 1934):
James Cagney’s memorable exploit with a grapefruit is tame by comparison with his activities as Dan Quigley in Lady Killer, the current offering at the Warners’ Strand. It looks as though he wanted to live up literally to the title of the film when he drags Mae Clarke — who has already put up with a good deal from the redheaded player — around a room and then delivers what might be termed his conception of a coup de grace, which lands her on a sofa across a hall. Because he feels that a film reviewer has insulted a screen actress, Mr. Quigley makes the writer swallow a column of stuff. There is no end to the number of scraps Mr. Quigley has during this picture. He has a chip on his shoulder most of the time and he does not wait to listen to any excuse his victim may have to offer….
…. In this tale one is often confronted with vigor and vulgarity, but it must be admitted that there are several good bits of humor, especially after Quigley lands in the town of film studios.
For Monday, we have an “unsuitable” mystery guest from an extremely “unsuitable” mystery movie.
Update: This is James Cagney during a “movie within a movie” sequence.
For Tuesday, we have a sophisticated, “unsuitable” mystery guest and Back of the Head Woman.
Update: This is the unfortunate movie critic Blair (not identified in any cast list) with Pauline Wagner as Back of the Head Woman. Stacia confided early on that Lady Killer prompted her to write an as-yet-unpublished piece on the Pre-Codes and she said she was never able to identify this fellow. So I was hoping that the Brain Trust could do the trick. There are a number of men in the Pressbook cast lists who aren’t in the online database, but they are quite obscure and it’s difficult to find images of them.
Brain Trust roll call: Stacia (mysterious “unsuitable” movie and Monday’s “unsuitable” mystery guest), Mike Hawks (mysterious “unsuitable” movie and Monday’s “unsuitable” mystery guest), Robert Morrisey (Monday’s “unsuitable” mystery guest), Anne Papineau (mysterious “unsuitable” movie and Monday’s “unsuitable” mystery guest), Sylvia (Monday’s “unsuitable” mystery guest) and Mary Mallory (mysterious “unsuitable” movie and Monday’s “unsuitable” mystery guest).
For “Hm Wednesday,” we have an “unsuitable” mystery guest.
Update: This is Douglas (Douglass) Dumbrille.
Brain Trust roll call: Stacia (Tuesday’s mystery guest — character’s name), Sylvia (“unsuitable” mystery movie and Monday’s “unsuitable” mysterious guest) and L.C. (“unsuitable” mystery movie and “unsuitable” cast).
*Mary Mallory and Mike Hawks (they’re in the “unsuitable” mystery movie, but in other roles).
For “Aha Thursday,” we have an “unsuitable” mystery woman.
Update: This is Mae Clark.
Brain Trust roll call: Mary Mallory (Wednesday’s “unsuitable” mystery fellow), Sylvia (Tuesday’s mysterious character and Back of the Head Woman, and Wednesday’s “unsuitable” mystery gent), Chrisbo (Wednesday’s “unsuitable” mystery fellow), Matt Berger (Wednesday’s “unsuitable” mystery guest), B.J. Merholz (“unsuitable” mystery movie and Wednesday’s “unsuitable” mystery guest), Benito (Wednesday’s “unsuitable” mystery guest), Anne Papineau (Wednesday’s “unsuitable” mystery guest), Mike Hawks (Wednesday’s “unsuitable” mystery guest) and Stacia (Tuesday’s Back of the Head Woman and Wednesday’s “unsuitable” mystery guest).
For Friday, we have an “unsuitable” mystery couple. Bonus points for “unsuitable” mysterious nightclub.
Update: This is Margaret Lindsay and James Cagney in a scene set at the Cocoanut Grove.
Brain Trust roll call: Mary Mallory (Thursday’s mystery woman), Anne Papineau (Thursday’s mystery woman), Stacia (Thursday’s mystery woman) and Sylvia (Thursday’s mystery woman).
ladailymirror.com 
This is Jimmy Cagney in LADY KILLER! I think they made that poor actor actually eat paper for that one scene. Hilariously, I’ve spent a long time trying to figure out who the actor who played the critic who had to eat his own words is, and I still have no idea!
LikeLike
Jimmy Cagney in a midsummer night’s dream.
LikeLike
James Cagney in LADY KILLER.
LikeLike
This is clearly James Cagney in Regency era costume, sporting a stache and extravagant sideburns. But I cannot figure out what movie it might be!
LikeLike
James Cagney in “Lady Killer.”
LikeLike
This looks like one of those “movie within a movie” films with what looks like a fresnel-type light in the background.
Thought about Cagney in A Midsummer’s Night, but I don’t think it’s him or that film (though some scenes might fit the Unsuitable theme.)
LikeLike
Jimmy Csgney in Lady Killer.
LikeLike
William B. Davidson and Mae Clarke.
LikeLike
Tuesday is the character Blair, the critic, but I have no idea who the actor is! I just can’t tell and Google is no help. The girl is Peggy Graves, I’m pretty sure.
LikeLike
Robert Elliott.
LikeLike
Ha! Yep, movie within a movie, or maybe I mean a movie about making a movie.
Lady Killer 1933
Mon – James Cagney on set
Tues – not sure of the guy yet, but I think BOTHW is Mae Clarke
LikeLike
Lady Killer (1933) w/James Cagney, Margaret Lindsay, Mae Clark, Douglass Dumbrille, Leslie Fenton, Henry O’Neill…
LikeLike
Good old Doyglas Dumbrille today, Margaret Lindsay yesterday.
LikeLike
Robert Elluott and Mae Clarke tuesday.
LikeLike
Tuesday’s BOTHW is Pauline Wagner. Still working on the guy.
Wed – Douglass Dombrille
LikeLike
Spelling
Douglass Dumbrille
LikeLike
Tuesday’s guy is the critic. Cagney makes him “eat his words”. So far can’t find a name. Not giving up though.
LikeLike
Douglas Dumbrille Wednesday?
LikeLike
I see that Douglas Dumbrille – one of the rotating actors in the Fox Charlie Chan films – on Wednesday.
LikeLike
Douglas Dumbrille is a lady killer, but the lady in the photo is the real mystery.
LikeLike
The ubiquitous Douglas Dombrille
LikeLike
Tuesday’s critic
I found one indication that he’s played by George Meeker. But that note had AI connections, sooo…
George Meeker was in Death by Television and does kinda resemble this guy, but the hair doesn’t seem right.
Will await your Saturday breakdown, since it appears that L.C. knows the name.
LikeLike
Douglass Dumbrille on Wednesday.
LikeLike
Douglas Dumbrille.
LikeLike
It’s almost Thursday and I’m only just now getting around to looking at Wednesday — pretty sure that’s Douglass Dumbrille. Tuesday’s back of the head girl must be Pauline Wagner.
LikeLike
Mae Clarke today.
LikeLike
Mae Clarke checking her makeup in a pocket mirror. Used to see her in “Famous Monsters of Filmland” magazine way back when.
LikeLike
Thursday is Mae Clarke!
LikeLike
Thursday – Frankly, I had a hard time differentiating between Mae Clarke and Margaret Lindsay during all my searches for this week’s mystery movie. Then I found a website about the design of the movie including costumes. Mae Clarke (the ‘bad’ girl in the picture) is usually dressed up as a ‘fancy’ woman. Margaret Lindsay (the ‘good’ girl in the movie) dresses in a softer, self-effacing, subtley elegant fashion.
So, as Thursday’s image looks “fancy” to me, I’m going with Mae Clarke.
Looking forward to Friday’s full reveal of Cagney and Margaret Lindsay. And maybe an extra image of Clarke and Cagney together (I found a lot of info on how they worked out that hair-pulling routine.)
LikeLike
Margaret Lindsay and James C. smoking at the World Famous Cocoanut Grove.
LikeLike
Margaret Lindsay and cagney.
LikeLike
Friday is Margaret Lindsay and Jimmy Cagney again! Margaret Lindsay always looks both glamorous and very sensible, I don’t know how she does it.
LikeLike