Movie Reviewed: Safe in hell (1931), starring Dorothy Mackaill
A young lady in distress
Dorothy Mackaill is one the most beautiful women at the dawn of Hollywood and once predicted be a strong competitor to legendry actresses Carol Lombard and Jean Harlow, but unfortunately her career was short lived for lack of good opportunities. This is one of the most controversial movies of the pre-code era that tackled difficult topics but managed to pass the scrutiny of the church and the public.
One of the iconic photograph of the beautiful MacKaill sitting in a scantily cladded negligée with legs spread is from this movie, and this has been re-printed in many books about pre-code films. In this 1931 movie, brilliantly directed by William Wellman, the story revolves around gorgeous Mackaill. With a string of bad lucks in her jobs, at the height of great depression, she is forced to practice the "oldest profession" to pay her bills. In addition, she had to face a false rap that she murdered her male customer. She runs with her boyfriend and lives in a remote Caribbean island. The motel is inhabited by a group of lecherous and criminal men who try to make all kinds of unwanted advances towards her when her sailor boyfriend is away. But she staves off all their advances, because she loved her boyfriend. She waits for him until he returns from his business. Unforeseen circumstances develop that puts her into much deeper trouble. This is an outstanding drama and one of the best performances of Dorothy Mackaill. A similar themed movie was made by another sensational actress Tallulah Bankhead in the 1932 movie "Faithless" starring Robert Montgomery. I very much enjoyed watching this movie and I highly recommend this to anyone interested in the films of Dorothy Mackaill, Hollywood history, early Hollywood and pre-code movies.
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