wes-connors A Lake Placid skiing trip ends poorly for gold-digging Kay Francis (as Grace Herbert) when she fails to obtain any money from handsome young Kane Richmond (as Don). Wise-cracking companion Margaret Hamilton (as Josie) advises Ms. Francis to give up her routine of obtaining financial settlements from wealthy playboys. The women go to Miami and meet curvy young Mildred Coles (as Ellen Daley). Realizing her age is no longer an asset, Francis teaches Ms. Coles the "escort" profession. Complications occur when Coles shows real interest in handsome cowboy James Ellison (as Thomas "Tom" Dice)...This appears to be a cleaned-up story about upper-class prostitution, topped off with an unanswered question about the relationship between Francis and Ms. Hamilton. It's very allegorical, consisting of $50,000 kisses planted with all the passion of a grandmother. Doubtful such exchanges would result in either the cash or scandal insinuated. Nicely playing her age, Francis and director Frank Woodruff make it work. Hamilton is great. Nigel Bruce (as William McDonald Vincent) amuses as a Chicago native who picked up an accent abroad. And, Katharine Alexander (as Mrs. Dice) helps during a pivotal scene.****** Play Girl (1/29/41) Frank Woodruff ~ Kay Francis, James Ellison, Mildred Coles, Nigel Bruce, Margaret Hamilton

maryszd Play Girl, made in 1940 shortly before America entered World War II, is a film that looks back to Depression era films. An aging "gold-digger" Grace (Kay Francis), realizes that she's too old (over 30) to hoodwink vain older men. She takes on a destitute nineteen-year-old Ellen (Mildred Coles), and grooms her to be her successor. But Ellen turns out to be a good girl after all, and falls for a young cowboy named Tom, leading to a predictably happy ending. The economically precarious life of unmarried women lurks beneath the film's labored humor. I was struck by the vulnerability of the three women (Margaret Hamilton plays Josie, Grace's maid--a failed maternal figure to both the younger women). Fortunately for the women like the ones in this film, there would be plenty of war work available soon enough. They could earn an honest living and acquire decent job skills while the men fought overseas. In the regressive fifties, films like Diamonds are a Girl's Best Friend would bring back the old gold-digger theme, but the women in the later film have a toughness and self-reliance (after all, Marilyn Monroe was discovered working at a munitions factory) that even the sleek Grace can't quite manage. Grace, in a plot twist, goes after Tom and gets a visit from Tom's mother. Like Grace, she's an elegantly dressed older woman who gently puts Grace's feet in the fire. This woman's film is so much about the predicament of aging and marginalized women. It's fitting that Kay Francis, whose studio was desperate to get rid of her, played Grace. She was always a class act.

Neil Doyle I've never been a huge KAY FRANCIS fan, but at least in PLAY GIRL she gets a better than average script (for a B-film), and an excellent supporting cast that is able to breathe some life into the material. And her character is sensible and mature, not to mention a bit too noble to be believable by the last reel.She's a fashionable gold digger who decides to train a protégé to lure men into the net when her own looks become too mature. This time the prize is JAMES ELLISON, a handsome young cattle rancher who happens to fall hard for her protégé, played winsomely by MILDRED COLE.KANE RICHMOND and NIGEL BRUCE lend valuable support in key roles and the whole story is done with flair and style that makes it pleasant entertainment. On the face of it, it's strictly minor stuff with many soap opera overtones.Only disappointing angle is the resolution of the love affair involving Ellison and Cole with no on screen reunion provided by the script. Instead, he rushes to join the young protégé in Florida while Francis turns her attention to another man. The plot soon becomes a twisted soap opera with Francis nobly giving up the young man in favor of telling him the truth about Cole's whereabouts.Nothing deep here, just a pleasant diversion that passes quickly and is soon forgotten. Good work by a capable cast makes it easy to watch.

MartinHafer This film is definite evidence that the films in the latter portion of Kay Francis' career were pretty ordinary. This film, while competent, is only passable entertainment and certainly won't keep your undivided attention.Kay plays a high-living gold digger. The problem is that she never got married and settled down and now she's broke and her prospects are few. So, on a lark, she finds a young protégé and grooms her to be a gold digger as well--but also to marry and keep a rich guy. The problem is that the young lady has scruples and she just can't bring herself to do this to such a nice guy. So, Kay decides to pull out all the stops and try to get the guy herself--even though she's older than the young man's mother! Oddly, one of the beaus that the protégé has in the film is Nigel Bruce. While his age is fine for the film (after all, she was looking for a "sugar daddy"), saying he was from Chicago made me laugh. After all, Bruce has a very, very English accent and seeing the guy who later played Dr. Watson in the Sherlock Holmes films as an American from Chicago made me laugh.Otherwise, there's not much in this film that seems new or particularly interesting. Even the noble ending seems all too familiar. Watchable, but that's about it.