The Cheat (1931)

The Cheat (1931) Directed by George Abbott
DVDRip | XviD 2265 k/sec | English | 01:07:42 | 640 x 480 | 1.1 GB | 23.97 fps | MP3 192 k/sec
Subtitles: English French & Spanish | Genre: Drama

The Cheat (November 1931) is a film directed by the young George Abbott better known for a legendary career writing and directing plays on Broadway. Tallulah Bankhead stars as a rather confused young bride who is also an adventuress- gambler. Losing $10000 that her young husband doesn't have and foolish blowing a charity's $10000 on the stock market Bankhead barters her honor to a philandering businessman played by Irving Pichel (an actor in Dracula's Daughter and the director of Destination Moon).
The script equates "Asian" with "perverse". Pichel has spent a good deal of time in the ient and his mansion is decked out in Japanese style. For a party he dresses Bankhead in an elegant Chinese outfit like a trophy. The script gives him some barbaric Eastern ideas about sex -- like a secret cabinet with dolls fashioned after his female conquests. When Bankhead refuses to play ball at the last minute he brands her with a hot iron to claim her as his possession! Like a demented version of The Letter further complications involve a shooting and a rather hilariously exaggerated trial where of course the "truth burned into the flesh" must be publicly revealed. With Bankhead overdoing most of her scenes it gets pretty sticky. The Production Code specifically rules out branding as acceptable subject manner; almost certainly with this film in mind.
The show is given superior Paramount production values. An Asian dance at the party provides an excuse for some revealing costumes. At one point Pichel takes Bankhead for a moonlight cruise helping her into a fancy motorboat in a setup reminiscent of Some Like it Hot.
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