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Synopsis

Sexy Texas gal storms her way through life, brawling and boozing until her luck runs out, forcing her to learn the errors of her ways. –IMDb

Director

Original

John Francis Dillon

Motion Picture Director, Actor. Often billed as Jack Dillon. Born in New York City, he entered films in 1913 as a performer in Keystone shorts and began directing his own films the following year. He continued to appear as an actor in supporting roles through 1927, usually playing charming but ineffectual would-be lovers. During the 1920s Dillon was known as a proficient director of commercially successful melodramas and comedies with Jazz Age themes, such as “Flaming Youth” (1923), “The Perfect Flapper” (1923), “The Half-Way Girl” (1925), and “Man Crazy” (1927), and with sound he turned to musicals and crime dramas (“The Finger Points”, 1931, “The Big Shakedown”, 1934). He is probably best remembered today as the director of “It Girl” Clara Bow’s best talkie, the salacious pre-Production Code gem “Call Her Savage” (1932). Dillon died of a heart attack at a party in Beverly Hills. He was the brother of screenwriter Robert Dillon, and was married to actress Edith Hallor from 1914 until… read more

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Ellie Groom

4Apr13

It takes some time to adjust to the pre-code conventions and the racism, but Bow's performance transcends the material (plus bonus Thelma Todd).

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locust furnace

19Feb13

batshit, absolutely batshit. hands down craziest pre-code i've seen so far. did fox seriously give this film the ok?

Vaxdockan likes this

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MarcH

22Apr12

Few actresses could have pulled off this otherworldly script and remained sympathetic at the end. Bow never misses a beat...whether she's whipping a half-breed, throwing punches in Hollywood's first gay bar, pulling Thema Todd's hair, or cradling her sick infant. Something to behold.

Robert Regan likes this

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W184

The Noteworthy: Savides & Szeto & De Gregario, Fincher's Kickstarter, Pre-Code Sirens

By Notebook on October 17, 2012

Three greats pass away, trailers for new Tarantino and Bigelow films, expansive thoughts on Brian De Palma, and a pre-Code classic in full.

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W184

Clara Bow: Savage!

By Notebook on October 2, 2012

A wicked publicity still for John Francis Dillon’s 1932 pre-Coder, Call Her Savage, starring Clara Bow and shot by the great Lee Garmes.

read article
W184

Movie Poster of the Week: Pre-Code Posters

By Adrian Curry on July 15, 2011

Hot stuff! Too hot for the censors, but hot enough for you. Scandalous lads and ladies revealed—inside!

read article

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