The Shocking Miss Pilgrim (1947)

I saw this for the first time today and unlike most other reviewers was struck by the mediocrity of the film and the unmemorable score.It is clear that Grable was putting on a few pounds in weight and it does seem puzzling that she was put in such a film unless it was felt that her star was on the wane.What intrigued me also was the fact she had a different dress for each scene.

It's funny that this film was a disappointment for Betty Grable and the studio, as I actually think it's better than most of her films. While I am not saying it's a great film, it is enjoyable and fits Grable very nicely. According to IMDb they attributed this to Grable not showing off her famous legs or because she wasn't peroxide blonde in the film. And, if you think about it, the film is supposed to be about equality and anti-sexism--and that's exactly how the studio execs behaved in blaming the film's lack of success on Grable's lessened sex appeal in this cute picture!When the film begin, it's the 1870s and women simply did not work outside the home. So, when Miss Pilgrim (Grable) completes secretarial school and goes looking for a job in Boston, it's quite shocking and she naturally runs into sexism. So, she makes it a crusade of sorts to gain acceptance....and by doing so she becomes an important spokesperson for the women's suffrage movement! She also finds many friends in one of the strangest boarding houses you'll ever see in a movie!The film is naturally filled with songs but not as many as in Grable's other films and a few of them are rather funny. Overall, it's a lighthearted and fun film about an important subject. Well worth seeing.

This is your ordinary movie set this time of the Liberation of Women movement.Bette Grable goes to work for the firm of Dick Haymes. They refer to her as a typewriter constantly. Isn't better to say typist or stenographer?Naturally, the two fall for each other, but her involvement in the Women's Movement may make things go awry even though his aunt owns the firm and is a firm believer in the movement. Anne Revere is that person. Ironically, Revere and Roy Roberts, the latter appearing briefly in the film, share no scenes together as was the case with the Oscar winning "Gentleman's Agreement" that year.How could manager Gene Lockhart try to get Grable out when the Revere character owned the firm?Of course, there are plenty of Gershwin tunes in the film, but again it is ordinary and so highly predictable.

Women dressed like men in the suffrage meeting. Women band members. Haymes' aunt beautifully dressed, but tough and strong personality mesmerized others. Betty dressed very femininely, and even showed the ankle part of her beautiful legs when Haymes was nearby glaring wolfishly.Pilgrim, Peabody, Quincy. Boston New England names. Too much hatred of Boston, though. It would lose the Boston audience. Too insulting. There was no movie code against that kind of "ism".Haymes was a beautiful singer. I also enjoyed him in the movie State Fair.Type Writer became typist. Today, people type on smart phones and tablets. We no longer roll the paper into the platen. Today, also, women aspire to bachelor's degrees and higher, and not just office jobs. In the time portrayed in this movie, Betty's new profession was an uncomfortable situation and threatening to a lot of sexist men.Betty was actually valedictorian over a bunch of men, who comprised most of the graduating class.Miss is now Ms. Betty is still famous, and most people I would think never heard of Haymes.I was looking for the movie about the woman Type Writer, thinking it starred Ginger Rogers, but I think that that movie was called The First Traveling Saleswoman, about a woman who sold corsets also in the same Gilded-Age time period of this movie The Shocking Miss Pilgrim.1874 time period of this movie. American women got the right to vote in 1920. That was 46 years later. 1848 the American women's movement began with Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Lucretia Mott. That was a long, long way, Baby, to 1920. Women, go out to vote next week. Don't stay home. Every time you stay home away from the voting booth, there is still some man out there who is happy you kept your intelligent voice out of the political arena.This was a post World War Two movie, where many women had been Rosie the Riveter. The work world was no longer a stranger. It must have been amusing for women to see Betty conquering the all-male enclave, back in 1874.I did like the singing of Betty, in this movie, plus Haymes also.