Divorcee

Pros: Classic example of a Pre-Code era story
Cons: An early talkie film, with the usual problems that come with it.

This film is a great example of what the Pre-Code era was all about. Breaking rules and stereotypes when it came to women's roles in society. Norma Shearer was the leader, in her day, of playing sophisticated, sexually liberated women, without seeming ...

Pros: Norma's performance, the Jazz-Age feel
Cons: Slightly dated, appears stagy, but not nearly as much as other films of the time.

Shearer (in her Oscar-winning role) gives a marvelous performance in this vintage early talkie. She stars as Jerry, a young wife whose disgust with her husband’s infidelities leads to her own exploration of her sexuality with a vast gallimaufry of suitors. Daring and racy, the film is also stylish and fun, filled with wonderful performances from all involved, including Zelda Sears as the maid, Chester Morris as the husband, Robert Montgomery as her first experiment, Conrad Nagel as an admirer, Florence Eldridge as a divorced socialite, and Helene Millard as a family friend.