Girls About Town (1931) in Color — Starring Kay Francis & Joel McCrea

Girls About Town (1931) — Buy This Classic in Color

Girls About Town is a classic film originally shot in black and white that captures the daring spirit of pre-Code Hollywood through the adventures of two glamorous gold diggers navigating Manhattan’s high society. This restored, professionally colorized version brings the shimmering Art Deco elegance and sly humor to vivid life through meticulous frame-by-frame colorization. Download your instant, DRM-free copy today for just €15.00 and watch Kay Francis at her most sophisticated in this sparkling pre-Code comedy.

Plot Summary

Wanda Howard and Marie Bailey are a pair of beautiful, worldly women who make their living as professional companions to wealthy businessmen visiting New York City. The arrangement is simple and mutually understood — the men get glamorous company for their evenings on the town, and the girls receive expensive gifts, fine dining at the most exclusive restaurants, and a lifestyle of luxury far beyond what their own modest means could provide. Their carefully managed existence is thrown into exhilarating chaos when Wanda falls genuinely in love with Jim Baker, a wealthy but refreshingly sincere young man from Michigan who has no idea about her real profession or the nature of her arrangement with her previous benefactors. Determined to reinvent herself and leave her compromising past behind for Jim, Wanda tries desperately to break free from her old life and make a clean start. But Marie’s continuing wild escapades, including a disastrous encounter with a jealous and vindictive former client, threaten to expose everything Wanda has tried to conceal. As the complications multiply and the stakes rise higher, Wanda must decide how much of her past she is willing to reveal to the man she loves — and whether honesty or careful deception ultimately offers the better chance at genuine happiness. This classic movie delivers witty dialogue, gorgeous fashion, and the kind of frank, unapologetic treatment of female sexuality that only pre-Code cinema could offer.

Cast & Crew

• Starring: Kay Francis, Joel McCrea, Lilyan Tashman, Eugene Pallette, Alan Dinehart, Lucile Gleason
• Director: George Cukor
• Runtime: 66 minutes
• Year: 1931
• Rated: Passed
• Genre: Comedy
• Country: United States

Why Buy This Classic in Color?

The colorization process transforms Girls About Town’s glamorous Manhattan settings and lavish costumes into a dazzling visual showcase. Every scene has been professionally colorized with careful attention to the shimmering silk gowns, the gleaming Art Deco interiors with their chrome fixtures and geometric patterns, and the sparkling nightlife that defined early 1930s high society. The colorized version brings stunning new dimension to the sophistication of the clothing and set design, letting audiences appreciate the opulent Jazz Age elegance that would soon be curtailed by both the Depression and the censorship code. The restored print delivers exceptional clarity, highlighting the graceful elegance that made Kay Francis one of the highest-paid actresses in all of Hollywood. Now also available in colour.

Buy your instant, DRM-free MP4 download today and experience pre-Code glamour at its finest in beautiful color.

Historical Significance

Girls About Town is one of the finest examples of pre-Code Hollywood’s willingness to address adult themes with wit and sophistication rather than heavy-handed moralizing. Director George Cukor, in the early stages of his legendary career, already demonstrates the remarkable gift for directing actresses that would eventually make him one of Hollywood’s greatest filmmakers, helming classics like The Philadelphia Story and My Fair Lady. Kay Francis brings genuine warmth and intelligence to a role that could easily have been one-dimensional, and Lilyan Tashman is a revelation as her sharp-tongued, fearlessly independent partner. Joel McCrea shows the easy natural charm that would make him a major leading man throughout the 1930s and 1940s. The film’s honest, non-judgmental portrayal of women using their beauty and wit to survive and thrive in a man’s world feels remarkably modern and ahead of its time. Through colorization, this sparkling showcase of pre-Code sophistication reaches audiences who can appreciate its daring spirit anew.

Technical Details

• Format: MP4 digital download
• Resolution: HD restored
• Colorized: Professionally colorized frame-by-frame
• Audio: Original English mono
• Price: €15.00
• Delivery: Instant download, DRM-free

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Movie-Specific Questions

Q: What is Girls About Town about?
A: Two glamorous women who work as professional companions to wealthy businessmen in New York face complications when one of them falls genuinely in love with a sincere young man who knows nothing of her past.

Q: Who stars in this film?
A: Kay Francis leads with elegant charm, alongside Joel McCrea as her love interest and Lilyan Tashman as her witty, fearless partner in crime.

Q: What is a pre-Code film?
A: Pre-Code refers to Hollywood films made before strict censorship enforcement in 1934, allowing much franker treatment of adult themes including sexuality, morality, and social taboos than would be permitted for decades afterward.

Q: Who directed this film?
A: George Cukor directed, early in his career before becoming one of Hollywood’s most celebrated filmmakers with classics like The Philadelphia Story, Gaslight, and My Fair Lady.

Digital Download Questions

Q: What format is the download?
A: You receive a professionally colorized MP4 file that was originally shot in black and white and has been restored and colorized frame-by-frame.

Q: Is the download DRM-free?
A: Yes, your purchase is completely DRM-free. You can watch it on any device that plays MP4 files.

Q: How do I receive my purchase?
A: After payment, you receive an instant download link. No waiting, no subscriptions.

Related Colorized Classics

• The Model and the Marriage Broker (1951)
• Carnaval Atlântida (1952)
• The Lavender Hill Mob (1951)
• Follow the Fleet (1936)
• Wife Wanted (1946)