Hot Saturday (1932)

“Immoral women shouldn't work in banks, you know. They might corrupt the young dollar bills.”

Small towns can be so wonderful, can’t they? Everybody knows one another so well. It can be like having one giant family with the sense of comfort and love gushing from the community. Well, why small towns do pose much advantage with such a romanticization of the idea, there are of course, drawbacks. Everyone knows everyone else’s business…and rumors spread – fast. Especially if you already have a certain kind of…reputation.

"a nice and honest coming-of-age tale – something that is a rare sighting for this film era"


She’s smart. She’s young. She’s pretty. She’s got a decent job. All these things combined, it would seem that Ruth Brock (Nancy Carroll) has a somewhat nice and comfortable life. And she does, but…in such a small town, Ruth’s popularity among the young men of the town can hardly go unnoticed.

And not even the rich, handsome playboy Romer Sheffield (Cary Grant) can resist the urge of flirtation with the working-class bank clerk – though she will not fall for his charms, keeping their conversations strictly business. Of course, that does not deter Sheffield one bit. He plans a party at his mansion, inviting all of the popular crowds of kids to come, with his mind set on spending time with Ruth.

With his plan being a success, the two start to spend more and more time together – Ruth always staying modest and Sheffield always being an honest gentleman. However, the rest of the town quickly surmises a different story, and Ruth’s “immorality” quickly becomes the talk of the town – even her own mother and short-lived fiancé believe the lies to be true. Ruth’s simple and comfortable life quickly takes a drastic turn.Hot Saturday (1932)

At its core, Hot Saturday is true to the romantic-comedy genre, but being a Pre-Code Hollywood film, it has a different feeling than most rom-coms of Golden-Age era. It is more daring in the subject matter, not restricted by the parameters of the soon-to-come Hays Code. And, it has a conclusion that it quite empowering and very satisfying for not only the character of Ruth, but for the audience as well. The film does not try for force-feed lessons in morality, but rather does what makes sense for the story. In many respects, it is a nice and honest coming-of-age tale – something that is a rare sighting for this film era.

Carroll and Grant are magical together in this film. The pair complement each other so well with their unlikely on-screen pairing. Seeing Grant in his first leading role is such a treat. Here, we see him for the first time actually becoming the funny, debonair leading man that he is now so famously known for.

Hot Saturday is a wonderful Hollywood gem that was made just in the nick of time before the Hays Code would come only two years later. With the witty banter, the dancing camera moves, the leading players and all, everything about this film screams REEL CLASSIC

Hot Saturday is now available on Blu-ray with a brand-new 2K transfer courtesy of Kino Lorber Studio Classics.

4/5 stars

Blu-ray Details

Home Video Distributor: Kino Lorber
Available on Blu-ray
- October 26, 2021
Screen Formats: 1.37:1
Subtitles
:
Audio:
DTS 2.0 Mono
Discs: Blu-ray Disc; single disc
Region Encoding: Locked to Region A

Cary Grant (The Eagle and the Hawk), Nancy Carroll (The Kiss Before the Mirror) and Randolph Scott (Supernatural) star in the Pre-Code scorcher Hot Saturday about small-town gossip that leads to enormous damage. When a wealthy city man, Romer Sheffield (Grant), hosts a party at his summer lake house, a rumor soon starts that Ruth (Carroll), a lovely small-town girl, spent the night with him. As Ruth seeks someone who will believe her innocence, the scandal rocks her community, forcing the girl to make a desperate decision that will change her life forever. They call her “bad”—and she tries to live up to it—in this classic from director William A. Seiter (A Lady Takes a Chance).

Video

Kino Lorber Studio Classic’s new 2K transfer gives the film a great crisp and clear picture, save for some minor imperfections that pop up every once in a while, during the film. Though the contrast and shadows are not terribly detailed, there is no doubt the film has never looked better. A nice transfer handled with the utmost care.

Audio

All Pre-Code innuendoes are crystal clear with the DTS 2.0 Mono soundtrack that accompanies this classic romantic comedy.

Supplements:

Commentary:

  • The commentary by author/film historian Lee Gambin is a movie buff’s dream with his excellent analysis of the picture, as well as a plethora of Pre-Code Hollywood movie history that is just exceptional (and educational).

Special Features:

  • Trailer

Blu-ray Rating

  Movie 4/5 stars
  Video  4/5 stars
  Audio 4/5 stars
  Extras 2/5 stars

Composite Blu-ray Grade

3.5/5 stars


Film Details

Hot Saturday (1932)

MPAA Rating: Not rated.
Runtime:
73 mins
Director
: William A. Seiter
Writer:
Seton I. Miller
Cast:
Cary Grant; Nancy Carroll; Randolph Scott
Genre
: Drama | Romance
Tagline:
when her cheating found her out...she sought to make marriage cover her sins!.
Memorable Movie Quote: "Is Listerine good for brains?"
Theatrical Distributor:
Paramount Pictures
Official Site: https://www.thehustle.movie/
Release Date:
October 28, 1932
DVD/Blu-ray Release Date:
October 26, 2021.
Synopsis: Cary Grant (The Eagle and the Hawk), Nancy Carroll (The Kiss Before the Mirror) and Randolph Scott (Supernatural) star in the Pre-Code scorcher Hot Saturday about small-town gossip that leads to enormous damage. When a wealthy city man, Romer Sheffield (Grant), hosts a party at his summer lake house, a rumor soon starts that Ruth (Carroll), a lovely small-town girl, spent the night with him. As Ruth seeks someone who will believe her innocence, the scandal rocks her community, forcing the girl to make a desperate decision that will change her life forever. They call her “bad”—and she tries to live up to it

Art

Hot Saturday (1932)