User Reviews

Maureen O'Sullivan was rarely lovelier than she is as Ann Gray, a convicted murderess who goes on the lam and ends up being helped by do-gooder attorney Joel McCrea. McCrea and O'Sullivan make a wonderful team, but Woman Wanted is an all around success, featuring an amusing and sharply written screenplay and terrific and imaginative photography by Charles Clarke. The film is also extremely well lit and features some truly awesome second unit work, most notably in an early scene involving an auto wreck that gains O'Sullivan her freedom. The leads are ably supported by oily Louis Calhern as bad guy Smiley Gordon and Robert Greig as Peedles, McCrea's extremely loyal manservant. Woman Wanted is terrific and well made fun.

This 1935 movie is similar to the later television series and the hit movie "The Fugitive." In this one a female rather than a male is found guilty of a murder she did not commit. Rather than an unplanned train derailment, a planned car wreck sets Ann Gray free. Ann Gray is played by the seductive Maureen O'Sullivan, Tarzan's Jane and Mia Farrow's mother, in a light-hearted manner much in the same way she played Jane. The wreck was orchestrated by mobster Smiley Gordon who is the real killer. The much underrated actor Louis Calhern portrays Smiley with skill and daring. Tony Baxter, Joel McCrae when he was still playing comedic romantic leads, at first unwittingly aids Ann in her escape from so-called justice and hides her away in his apartment. There is a hilarious scene at this point in the film when Tony's on-again off-again fiancée unexpectedly shows up and he has to hide Ann not only from the police but also from his girlfriend. Enter Peedles, Tony's Butler (Robert Greig), who has a delicious time keeping the two separated so the girlfriend Betty Randolph (Adrienne Ames) won't discover the other woman. The law then shows up complicating Peedles' job even more. Now he has to hide both women from the long arm of the law. The wonderful Edgar Kennedy as bumbling House Detective Sweeney is before the camera much too briefly but does get a chance to create a little mayhem for everyone concerned.

Another fun scene takes place in a closed diner where the now two fugitives, Ann and Tony, take shelter following a chase by mobsters during a thunder storm. Ann finds some apple jack and proceeds to get looped. Tony pretends to be the cook when the gangsters arrive and serves them hamburgers that he and Ann intended to eat. The local constable shows up after the hoods leave. He gets pie-eyed too.

This is one of those neat little films where loose ends get tied much too soon making for a fairly abrupt ending, as if the writers ran out of ideas and decided to wrap things up quickly. Still a very watchable comedy drama with some great acting thrown in to make it even more entertaining.

"Woman Wanted" is a title that sounds like a wanted ad, as opposed to "Wanted Woman", which would imply a fugitive, which is what Ann (Maureen O'Sullivan) is when she meets Tony (Joel McCrea). But it's a title that fits this fun romp.

The film is a drama about the couple's attempts to prove Ann's innocence and to escape some dangerous thugs. But the tone is often light, primarily because of Joel McCrea. That's something he does well. Tony's relationship with his personal butler, Peedles (Robert Greig)-- filled with witty banter-- also adds levity.

"Woman Wanted" is as much about the growing trust between Ann and Tony as it is about legal matters. This is no "Maltese Falcon". Enjoy it for what it is and for the two stars, who always deliver.

Maureen O'Sullivan is "Woman Wanted" in this 1935 film starring Joel McCrea, Lewis Stone, Louis Calhern, Robert Greig, and Adrienne Ames. O'Sullivan as Ann is found guilty of murder, but en route to the prison, a car accident gives her a chance to escape. She jumps into the nearest car, being driven by Tony Baxter (Joel McCrea), an attorney with an eye for the ladies. A group of mobsters, led by Louis Calhern, know she didn't do it, but they also think she knows where $250,000 in bonds are, so they are after her as well as the police.

"Woman Wanted" comes off as a light film because of the interjected comedy supplied by Robert Grieg, who plays Tony's butler, a sweet scene in an empty diner between Tony and Ann, and Tony's efforts to hide Ann from his fiancée Betty (Ames). It's a pleasant enough film because of the cast, but there really isn't anything special about the plot.

The revelation here is the beautiful Ames. I've seen untold thousands of films, not just ones I've reviewed on IMDb, and this was the first time I'd seen her. Her beauty was very much of the young Crawford or Loretta Young, and she was a good actress. Unfortunately she died when she was 39, having left films 7 years earlier to become a commentator and devote herself to bond rallies and war charities. Looking around the Internet, there are certainly people who appreciate her great beauty and sense of style.

You can see O'Sullivan, McCrea and the rest in better films. This is a nice chance to see Adrienne Ames.

Ann Gray (Maureen O'Sullivan) maintains that she's innocent of murdering her husband. The jury finds her guilty. In fact, mobsters believe that she is hiding the stolen $250k for her husband and they actually were the ones who killed him. They set up an accident for the transport to prison and she is mistakenly picked up by lawyer Tony Baxter (Joel McCrea).

The best part is the combination of Maureen and Joel. They have a good section in the middle. The movie needs more of their connection. I don't think Betty is necessary but she does provide some good scenes early on. Movies back then is only an hour or so. It's not enough time for a lot of complexity. It probably needs to get rid of Betty so that the leads can do more together. The story needs to get simpler and this should be more straight forward.

Fast-paced, if rather muddled, programmer from MGM. The stars - McCrea & O'Sullivan - prove more likable than the story. Seems O'Sullivan's slated for execution for a murder she didn't commit. However, she's sprung for unknown reasons by a racketeer, and aided in her escape by lawyer McCrea. Together, they thread through a series of escapes from the cops and gangsters. But will she ever be cleared of the murder.

The story's played in fairly light-hearted fashion and is occasionally amusing, especially when the fetching O'Sullivan plays hide-and-seek with McCrea's feisty fiancée (Ames) in his apartment. Also, relative unknown Robert Greig scores humorously as the butler Peebles. Then too, director Seitz manages to helpfully cover up much of the murky narrative with fast pacing. However, it surprises me that ritzy MGM didn't come up with better projection screens for the action shots behind both boats and cars. All in all, the movie fails to rise above programmer status, even though the two leads show how ready they are for bigger and better things.

Innocent Maureen O'Sullivan is waiting while the jury decides whether to find her guilty and hang her, while mobster Louis Calhern tells attorney Charles Lane he's not going to pay for an appeal. Instead, he arranges for her escape, and she jumps into business lawyer Joel McCrea's roadster.

It sounds like the sort of movie that RKO was producing at this time, but this is MGM, and so it has a lot of fine actors, including Lewis Stone, Edgar Kennedy, and Robert Greig as McCrea's inevitable put upon gentleman's gentleman. Even with George Seitz directing, this is pretty weak stuff as screwball. While Greig is funny, everyone else takes the plot points very seriously. There were at least seven screenwriters on this, credited and not, and it loks like almost all the juice was squeezed from it. There are a lot of uncredited people attached, like producer Phil Goldstone, which makes me think no one wanted to be known for it.

Maureen O'Sullivan was beautiful. She was a fine actress as well. And Joel McCrea was one of the most handsome, versatile actors of the 1930s and forties. He did well settling into Westerns after that but I always feel it was the movie world's loss.

These two don't have a whole lot of chemistry here but they work well individually. Louise Calhere is as always fine as a sleazy underworld figure, too.

The cinematography of Charles Clarke -- not someone generally associated with film noir in later years -- is beautiful. It employs a lot of exciting shadows.

The movie is part crime drama, part romance, and a little bit comedy. My preference is for movies that stick with one or another of these genres. But "Woman Wanted" works on its own terms: It has sinister moments. It's suspenseful. And we root for the lead couple.

Always enjoyed viewing Maureen O'Sullivan when she played "Jane" in the Tarzan films in the 30's and 40's. In this film, she plays a young gal with a big cloud over her head from a horrible court room decision. Maureen, plays Ann Gray," Never Too Late",'65, who comes into contact with Joel McCrea,(Anthony,"Tony" Baxter), "The Virginian",'45, who plays a hot shot ladies man lawyer in this picture, and not a cowboy. However, Louis Calhern,(Smiley Gordon),"Blackboard Jungle",'55 plays the crooked crime lord who wants to make certain that Ann Gray is not put into jail for his own personal reasons. This is a well produced B&W film and truly a great classic. Maureen O'Sullivan, made this film a classic and also the mother of Mia Farrow and her father John Farrow all outstanding actors and producers. Enjoy the 1930's.

Joel McCrea and Maureen O'Sullivan star in Woman Wanted about a fugitive who escapes minutes after her murder conviction and the young attorney who tries to help her. I'll let you decide which of the stars played what role.

Seriously though, Woman Wanted could have and should have been a straight drama, but the folks at MGM decided to try for some comedy relief. Though some of the bits are funny, especially the performance by Robert Grieg as McCrea's butler, they don't come as relief. Instead they interrupt the flow of the plot.

After her conviction for murder, Maureen O'Sullivan is sprung from the courthouse by gangster Louis Calhern who wants information from her. Of course she didn't do the crime and the jailbreak goes well, but Maureen jumps into Joel McCrea's car. Now the proper thing to do would be for attorney McCrea to advise her to turn herself because he is an officer of the court. Still she's kind of cute. So as the Woman Wanted, O'Sullivan is only wanted by McCrea for good reasons, the police and the mob have other things in mind.

Lewis Stone is in a similar undefined role as the District Attorney. Usually Stone is wise and sagacious even when he's not Judge Hardy on the screen. Here he's not all that smart, but he's a Rhodes Scholar next to the police who graduated from the Mack Sennett Police Academy. There is another good bit by Edgar Kennedy as a flustered house detective.

In the films of Joel McCrea, Tony Thomas correctly says this is a B film, but it's got the MGM gloss to it so it looks far better than it really is.

Ann Graves (Maureen O'Sullivan) is a woman on the run that has been accused of murder who hitches a ride with hot shot lawyer (Tony Baxter). The movie has several interesting characters that makes the journey interesting and entertaining. Maureen O'Sullivan is fantastic and charming and Joel McCrea is a perfect pairing for her. This movie is only 1 hour 15 minutes and if you like classic movies it will be well spent.

Victor J.

I caught this garbage today and I don't know about the previous reviewers..one calling it a classic. I always found Marie O'Sullivan a plane Jane. No pun intended ( Jane in Tarzan ). One called her seductive....please. It might of passed the year it was made, 1935 as a "B" movie as a second feature for a double bill which was popular in those days. Great acting? I think not...the dialog even in the contest of the early '30's sounded ridiculous. Joel McCrea was completely wasted here, but obviously he had not arrived at his peak of his popularity as leading man. Robert Grieg, the butler was humorous and thats about it. My TV guide gave it 1 star out of 4...even that was being generous.

"Wanted Woman" has a nice cast, but is so poorly written that they are entirely wasted. Had the MANY plot holes been plugged, it could have been a cute comedy/mystery picture.

The film begins with Ann (Maureen O'Sullivan) being convicted of murder. However, since she is an adorable leading lady, you know she's innocent. So, when she manages to escape custody, you know that she'll eventually be able to prove her innocence. True to the formula (used many times by Alfred Hitchcock in such films as "The 39 Steps" and "The Girl Was Young" AND "Saboteur"), you know she'll soon meet up with a nice member of the opposite sex (Joel McCrea) who will have a lengthy adventure with her.

The film fails repeatedly because again and again, folks behave irrationally--making decisions that simply make no sense. Why does the guy help and escaped convicted murderer?! Why would he then drive drunk? Why does his butler automatically do the same and repeatedly lie to the police and obstruct justice? Why would the guy run off at the end and try to solve the crime all by himself--isn't that what police are supposed to do? The bottom line is that although the couple have nice chemistry and I loved the butler, Peedles (Robert Greig), the film failed repeatedly due to sloppy writing.