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Call Her Savage

Play trailer Poster for Call Her Savage Released Nov 24, 1932 1h 28m Drama Play Trailer Watchlist
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Tomatometer 3 Reviews 70% Popcornmeter 250+ Ratings
Actually the offspring of a Native American man and a white woman, tempestuous Texas heiress Nasa Springer (Clara Bow) grows up believing her father to be Pete Springer (Willard Robertson), a railroad tycoon. When her dad ships his emotionally troubled daughter off to a girls' school in Chicago, and later arranges a marriage for Nasa, she defies him by wedding a drunken cad (Monroe Owsley). After the marriage crumbles and she turns up pregnant, Nasa's life spirals out of control.

Critics Reviews

View All (3) Critics Reviews
Chase Burns The Stranger (Seattle, WA) Call Her Savage is problematic, boring dribble Feb 2, 2022 Full Review John Beifuss Commercial Appeal (Memphis, TN) Prostitution, 'half-breeds,' cross-dressing, cat fights, dog-wrestling, 'wild poets,' wagon-train lechery and rampant bralessness are among the consistently jaw-dropping elements of this rollicking 1932 melodrama, Rated: 3.5/4 Oct 3, 2014 Full Review Phil Hall Film Threat Entertaining pre-Code drama, with a vibrant Clara Bow at full-throttle speed. Rated: 3/5 Jul 27, 2012 Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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Audience Member After a number of sex scandals and high profile court cases knocked her out of the public eye, Clara Bow attempted a comeback with this talkie film. Referred to as "pre-code" because it was produced before the infamous Hays Code was brought in to mandate decency, happy endings, and good morals (the villain always gets punished in the end). Here, however, there are numerous transgressions of good taste and acceptable conduct. For one, Clara doesn't wear a bra. Beyond that, there is at least one good cat-fight, some inter-racial romance, a gay bar, and desperate prostitution. There is also some high melodrama (Clara's baby dies in a fire). But none of this seems to change the pace of the movie, which is spoken as though every line was a potential one-liner (with a delay for the laugh, which isn't warranted in most cases). So, it just feels a bit odd and unusual, which may have been typical for films in 1932, as sound was just getting established. A curiosity but no more. Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars 02/04/23 Full Review Audience Member Clara Bow oozes so much sex appeal in this film she just lights up the cinema. The film is very funny and dramatic the only drawback is when it goes into melodrama in the last 20/30 minutes it loses that early spark of the film but Clara is someone whom you cannot take your eyes from . She probably is the most perfect all round Actor. Rated 4 out of 5 stars 01/24/23 Full Review Audience Member Interesting and surprisingly explicit for its time. 82 years old and if I remember correctly, before the Hays code. They could do anything they wanted and they sure did! Clara Bow romps around with breasts flying and even walks around in a silk teddie with nothing on underneath. Pretty racy for 1932. You can easily tell why Bow was such a big star - with those big eyes and effortless acting. She was a natural. My fifteen minutes of watching weren't enough - I would have liked to have seen the whole thing. Be aware of some rascist overtones - a different social era. Alas, cereal only lasts so long and work beckons so 15 minutes is all I have to review. If you love old, old movies I would recommend this. High drama at its best... for its time. Rated 3 out of 5 stars 02/01/23 Full Review Audience Member gr8 vehicle for the IT grrl clara bow this is the first talkie i've seen her in and her voice is wonderful. Rated 3 out of 5 stars 01/21/23 Full Review bill t This pre-code movie is pretty ridiculous in what it could get away with in the pre-code days.. Loose morals., prostitution, infidelity, loveless marriage for starters! Clara Bow just basically lets it all hang out in this tale of a (ahem) free minded woman and her attempts at love, money, and yes, redemption. Lots of ups and downs for her, and it's all ridiculously trashy entertainment. Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 03/30/23 Full Review Audience Member A racy and daring pre-code drama which stars Clara Bow perhaps at her most memorable. Shame about the uneven script and careless direction. Rated 3 out of 5 stars 01/24/23 Full Review Read all reviews
Call Her Savage

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Cast & Crew

Movie Info

Synopsis Actually the offspring of a Native American man and a white woman, tempestuous Texas heiress Nasa Springer (Clara Bow) grows up believing her father to be Pete Springer (Willard Robertson), a railroad tycoon. When her dad ships his emotionally troubled daughter off to a girls' school in Chicago, and later arranges a marriage for Nasa, she defies him by wedding a drunken cad (Monroe Owsley). After the marriage crumbles and she turns up pregnant, Nasa's life spirals out of control.
Director
John Francis Dillon
Screenwriter
Edwin J. Burke, Tiffany Thayer
Distributor
Fox
Production Co
Fox Film Corporation
Genre
Drama
Original Language
English
Release Date (Theaters)
Nov 24, 1932, Wide
Release Date (DVD)
Jul 29, 2014
Runtime
1h 28m
Sound Mix
Mono