Gigolette

Kay Parrish is the free-spirited daughter of a millionaire, living from day to day with little concern for her future. When her father commits suicide, she is shocked to discover that he left her nothing. Remembering a chance encounter with fast-talking con man Terry Gallagher, she takes a job at his speakeasy as a "gigolette" - the female equivalent of a gigolo. Though initially disgusted by the men she has to fraternize with, she finds sympathy in the arms of Gregg Emerson, a wealthy playboy. Gregg's parents disapprove of the lower-class Kay and forbid the couple from marrying. Terry, who is also in love with Kay but wants her to be happy, sets out to improve Kay's social standing so she and Gregg can be married…even if he has to borrow money from every gangster in town to do it!

Gigolette is one of three movies made in the mid 30's by small studio Select Productions that found distribution with the much bigger RKO (the others were Woman in the Shadows, starring Fay Wray, and People's Enemy with Preston Foster.) It is a showcase for the gorgeous Adrienne Ames, who never became quite as famous as she should have. Though perhaps best known today for appearing in the The Death Kiss (1932) with Bela Lugosi, she was also recognized as an early talk show host and movie reviewer on New York radio, a job she was still doing when she succumbed to cancer at the too-young age of 39 in 1947. Highlights from the long and distinguished career of Academy Award winner Ralph Bellamy include his roles in The Awful Truth (1937), His Girl Friday (1940) and most notably, his classic portrayal of Franklin Roosevelt in Sunrise At Campobello (1960). Robert Armstrong is of course immortalized for his legendary part as entrepreneur Carl Denham in King Kong (1933). (Interestingly, Adrienne Ames was married to Armstrong's Kong co-star, Bruce Cabot, at the time!)