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{{short description|1958 film by Harry Keller}}
{{Infobox film
{{Infobox film
| name = The Female Animal
| name = The Female Animal
| image =
| image = File:The Female Animal.jpg
| caption =
| caption = [[Film poster]]
| director = [[Harry Keller]]
| director = [[Harry Keller]]
| producer = [[Albert Zugsmith]]
| screenplay = Robert Hill
| screenplay = Robert Hill
| story = [[Albert Zugsmith]]
| story = [[Albert Zugsmith]]
| based_on =
| based on =
| producer = Albert Zugsmith
| starring = [[Hedy Lamarr]]<br>[[Jane Powell]]<br>[[Jan Sterling]]<br>[[George Nader]]
| starring = [[Hedy Lamarr]]<br>[[Jane Powell]]<br>[[Jan Sterling]]<br>[[George Nader]]<br>[[Jerry Paris]]<br>[[James Gleason]]<br>[[Gregg Palmer]]
⚫
| music = [[Hans J. Salter]]
| cinematography = [[Russell Metty]]
| cinematography = [[Russell Metty]]
| editing = Milton Carruth
| editing = [[Milton Carruth]]
| studio = Universal Pictures
| music = [[Hans J. Salter]]
| distributor = [[Universal Pictures]]
| color_process = [[Black and white]]
⚫
| studio = [[Universal Pictures]]
⚫
| released = {{film date|1958|1|22|New York City}}
| runtime = 84 minutes
| distributor = Universal Pictures
⚫
| released = {{film date|1958|1|22|New York City|1958|4|23|Los Angeles}}
| runtime = 82 minutes
| country = United States
| country = United States
| language = English
| language = English
| budget =
| budget =
| gross =
| gross =
}}
}}
'''''The Female Animal''''' is a 1958 American [[drama film]] directed by [[Harry Keller]] starring [[Hedy Lamarr]], [[Jane Powell]], [[Jan Sterling]] and [[George Nader]].
'''''The Female Animal''''' is a 1958 American [[CinemaScope]] [[drama film]] directed by [[Harry Keller]] and starring [[Hedy Lamarr]], [[Jane Powell]], [[Jan Sterling]] and [[George Nader]].


Although she lived until 2000, this was Lamarr's final film in a Hollywood career of nearly 30 years.
Although she lived until 2000, this was Lamarr's final film in a film career of nearly 30 years.


==Plot==
==Plot==
Movie star Vanessa Windsor is nearly struck by a camera on the set, saved at the last second by Chris Farley, a handsome extra. A cut on his arm is attended to and Vanessa invites him to dinner at her [[Malibu, California|Malibu]] beach home, where she clearly has designs on him for a night of romance.
Movie star Vanessa Windsor is nearly struck by a camera on the set, saved at the last second by Chris Farley, a handsome extra. A cut on his arm is attended to and Vanessa invites him to dinner at her [[Malibu, California|Malibu]] beach home, where she clearly has designs on him for a night of romance.


Their evening is interrupted by a message that Vanessa's grown daughter, Penny, is sick. Vanessa rushes to her only to find that Penny is drunk, not ill. A hostile Penny accuses her mother of adopting her simply for the publicity.
Their evening is interrupted by a message that Vanessa's grown daughter, Penny, is sick. Vanessa rushes to her only to find her drunk. Penny then accuses her mother of adopting her simply for the publicity.


Vanessa decides to offer Chris a job as caretaker at the beach house. He is considering an offer from a friend, Hank Lopez, to shoot a film in Mexico, but the job pays nothing, so Chris accepts Vanessa's offer instead. In time, they become lovers as well.
Vanessa decides to offer Chris a job as caretaker for the beach house. He is considering an offer from a friend, Hank Lopez, to shoot a film in Mexico, but the job pays nothing, so Chris accepts Vanessa's offer instead. In time, they become lovers as well.


Not knowing who she is, Chris comes upon Penny being physically manhandled by a date. Chris punches the man and takes a tipsy Penny back to the beach house. She doesn't indicate any recognition of the home as her mother's. Penny is so drunk that Chris places her under a shower, whereupon she kisses him.
Not knowing who she is, Chris comes upon Penny being physically manhandled by a date. Chris punches the man and takes a tipsy Penny back to the beach house. She doesn't indicate any recognition of the home as her mother's. Penny is so drunk that Chris places her under a shower, whereupon she kisses him.


Vanessa begins having Chris as her escort in public, but endures disapproving looks as well as snide remarks from Lily Frayne, another aging actress out with a younger man. Chris resents being a kept man and Vanessa buying him a half-dozen new suits. He decides to do the film in Mexico, but by now, after Penny reveals her true identity, he ends up having a fling with her and becomes unsure what to do.
Vanessa begins having Chris as her escort in public, but endures disapproving looks as well as snide remarks from Lily Frayne, another aging actress out with a younger man. Chris starts to resent being a kept man. Although Penny reveals her true identity to him, they end up having an affair. Chris decides to bail out of the threesome by agreeing to shoot the movie in Mexico, but Vanessa merely sees this as an opportunity for a publicity stunt marriage in Mexico. Chris again tries to end the relationship but still keeps Vanessa in the dark about the identity of her love rival.


A jealous Vanessa catches him speaking with Penny and sarcastically congratulates him on landing both mother and daughter. A depressed Vanessa later tries to kill herself. Chris rescues her again and she assures him that she will not try it again, but once he leaves, she sobs into her pillow.
When she's shooting a dangerous scene and while being "drunk again", Vanessa sees Chris and Penny standing together on the set and finally realises that they are having an affair. She takes a dangerous plunge into a water pool, a scene that was supposed to have been performed by her stunt woman. Chris rescues her again; in the final scene, she tells him "it wouldn't have worked anyway" and then sobs into her pillow.


==Trivia==
==Cast==
⚫
* [[Hedy Lamarr]] as Vanessa Windsor
⚫
* [[Jane Powell]] as Penny Windsor
⚫
* [[Jan Sterling]] as Lily Frayne
⚫
* [[George Nader]] as Chris Farley
⚫
* [[Jerry Paris]] as Hank Galvez (not Lopez)
* [[Gregg Palmer]] as Piggy
* [[Mabel Albertson]] as Irma Jones
* [[James Gleason]] as Tom Maloney
* Richard H. Cutting as Mr. John Ramsay
* [[Ann Doran]] as Nurse
* Yvonne Peattie as Hairdresser
* [[Max Showalter]] as Charlie Grant (as Casey Adams)
* [[Douglas Evans (actor)|Douglas Evans]] as Al The Director
* Aram Katcher as Mischa Boroff


==Production notes==
''The Female Animal'' was the "A" picture that was distributed as a double-bill with the "B" picture being [[Orson Welles]]'s ''[[Touch of Evil]]''.
''The Female Animal'' was the "A" picture that was distributed as a double-bill with the "B" picture being [[Orson Welles]]'s ''[[Touch of Evil]]''.


The tagline for the movie was "It is said that when a woman fights for a man, she is like an ANIMAL!".
==Cast==

⚫
* [[Hedy Lamarr]] as Vanessa
The "aging actress" (Hedy Lamarr) was 44, her youthful lover (George Nader) 36 and her precocious daughter (Jane Powell) 29 when the movie was shot.
⚫
* [[George Nader]] as Chris
⚫
* [[Jane Powell]] as Penny
⚫
* [[Jerry Paris]] as Hank
⚫
* [[Jan Sterling]] as Lily


==External links==
==External links==
*{{IMDb title|0050385}}
*{{IMDb title|0050385}}
*{{TCMDb title|74733}}
*[http://www.tcm.com/tcmdb/title/74733/The-Female-Animal/ ''The Female Animal''] at [[TCMDB]]
{{Albert Zugsmith}}
{{Albert Zugsmith}}
{{Harry Keller}}
{{Harry Keller}}
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Female Animal}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Female Animal}}
[[Category:1958 films]]
[[Category:1958 films]]
[[Category:American films]]
[[Category:Film noir]]
[[Category:1950s drama films]]
[[Category:1958 drama films]]
[[Category:American drama films]]
[[Category:American drama films]]
[[Category:Films directed by Harry Keller]]
[[Category:Films directed by Harry Keller]]
[[Category:Films scored by Hans J. Salter]]

[[Category:1950s English-language films]]

[[Category:1950s American films]]
{{1950s-drama-film-stub}}

Latest revision as of 20:12, 26 October 2024

The Female Animal
Film poster
Directed byHarry Keller
Screenplay byRobert Hill
Story byAlbert Zugsmith
Produced byAlbert Zugsmith
StarringHedy Lamarr
Jane Powell
Jan Sterling
George Nader
Jerry Paris
James Gleason
Gregg Palmer
CinematographyRussell Metty
Edited byMilton Carruth
Music byHans J. Salter
Color processBlack and white
Production
company
Distributed byUniversal Pictures
Release dates
  • January 22, 1958 (1958-01-22) (New York City)
  • April 23, 1958 (1958-04-23) (Los Angeles)
Running time
82 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish

The Female Animal is a 1958 American CinemaScope drama film directed by Harry Keller and starring Hedy Lamarr, Jane Powell, Jan Sterling and George Nader.

Although she lived until 2000, this was Lamarr's final film in a film career of nearly 30 years.

Plot

[edit]

Movie star Vanessa Windsor is nearly struck by a camera on the set, saved at the last second by Chris Farley, a handsome extra. A cut on his arm is attended to and Vanessa invites him to dinner at her Malibu beach home, where she clearly has designs on him for a night of romance.

Their evening is interrupted by a message that Vanessa's grown daughter, Penny, is sick. Vanessa rushes to her only to find her drunk. Penny then accuses her mother of adopting her simply for the publicity.

Vanessa decides to offer Chris a job as caretaker for the beach house. He is considering an offer from a friend, Hank Lopez, to shoot a film in Mexico, but the job pays nothing, so Chris accepts Vanessa's offer instead. In time, they become lovers as well.

Not knowing who she is, Chris comes upon Penny being physically manhandled by a date. Chris punches the man and takes a tipsy Penny back to the beach house. She doesn't indicate any recognition of the home as her mother's. Penny is so drunk that Chris places her under a shower, whereupon she kisses him.

Vanessa begins having Chris as her escort in public, but endures disapproving looks as well as snide remarks from Lily Frayne, another aging actress out with a younger man. Chris starts to resent being a kept man. Although Penny reveals her true identity to him, they end up having an affair. Chris decides to bail out of the threesome by agreeing to shoot the movie in Mexico, but Vanessa merely sees this as an opportunity for a publicity stunt marriage in Mexico. Chris again tries to end the relationship but still keeps Vanessa in the dark about the identity of her love rival.

When she's shooting a dangerous scene and while being "drunk again", Vanessa sees Chris and Penny standing together on the set and finally realises that they are having an affair. She takes a dangerous plunge into a water pool, a scene that was supposed to have been performed by her stunt woman. Chris rescues her again; in the final scene, she tells him "it wouldn't have worked anyway" and then sobs into her pillow.

Cast

[edit]

Production notes

[edit]

The Female Animal was the "A" picture that was distributed as a double-bill with the "B" picture being Orson Welles's Touch of Evil.

The tagline for the movie was "It is said that when a woman fights for a man, she is like an ANIMAL!".

The "aging actress" (Hedy Lamarr) was 44, her youthful lover (George Nader) 36 and her precocious daughter (Jane Powell) 29 when the movie was shot.

[edit]
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