New Showbiz

You are here:
Smarty

Smarty

1934

Passed

Director

Robert Florey

Runtime

65 minutes

Average Rating

No ratings yet

Synopsis

Vicki Wallace takes great pleasure in teasing her husband Tony who takes no pleasure at all in being teased and it isn't long before he ups and clips her on the chin. Vicki's friend and attorney Vernon Thorpe secures a divorce for her, and Vicki and Vernon are soon married. Vicki's yen for wearing revealing clothes and a penchant for inviting ex-husband to dinner soon provokes the easily-provoked Vernon into belting one on her himself. She goes to Tony's apartment, where Tony is entertaining Bonnie, who is not all that entertained by the presence of Vicki, especially after Vicki shows every intent of moving in and staying.

Where to Watch

Diversity & Representation

Overall Score

1.3/10

Minimal

Category Breakdown

LGBTQ+ Representation

Minimal

The film lacks any evidence of queer narratives or non-heteronormative identities. The plot remains strictly within the heteronormative social frameworks of the 1930s.

Gender Representation

Limited

Vicki shows agency by pursuing divorce and defying marital decorum. However, the narrative relies on male physical aggression to resolve conflicts, reinforcing traditional gender hierarchies.

Racial & Ethnic Diversity

Minimal

The story focuses on a homogeneous social circle centered around Western domestic disputes. There is no indication of racial or ethnic diversity within the cast.

Religious & Cultural Diversity

Limited

The narrative explores friction within established social contracts like marriage and divorce. It aligns with the conventional moral frameworks and Western social institutions of the era.

Disability Representation

Minimal

There is no mention of characters with visible or invisible disabilities in the narrative.

Strengths

  • The female protagonist, Vicki, demonstrates agency by refusing traditional marital decorum and actively pursuing a divorce.

Areas for Improvement

  • The film relies on physical aggression from male characters to resolve domestic conflicts.
  • There is a complete absence of racial, ethnic, or LGBTQ+ representation.
  • The narrative reinforces traditional gender hierarchies rather than subverting them.

AI Analysis

Smarty is a period-typical domestic comedy that adheres closely to the social hierarchies of 1934. While the female lead displays some independence through her pursuit of divorce, the film ultimately relies on physical dominance by men to settle disputes. The production lacks intersectional complexity, offering no representation of racial, ethnic, or LGBTQ+ identities. It functions as a narrow exploration of Western marital instability and romantic rivalry. Ultimately, the film reinforces the era's standard social norms rather than subverting them, resulting in a very low diversity profile.

How are these scores produced? →

Rate this Movie

No rating selected
Use arrow keys to select a rating from 1 to 5 stars
Optional text review, maximum 2000 characters
Tip: Wrap spoilers with ||double pipes|| to hide them
0/2000 characters
You must be signed in to submit a rating

Reviews

No reviews yet. Be the first to share your thoughts on this movie!

Use the rating form above to leave a star rating and optional review.