Sex Pirates of 1931

After a nightclub hostess clobbers the boss and swipes his dough, women in the powder room must sneak her out before she winds up in the East River.

Sex Pirates of 1931 is a Sass Mouth Dames Production

Written and directed by Megan McGurk

Cinematography and editing by Shane McCormack

Lighting by Don Rorke

Sound by Colum Coogan

Sound editing and mixing by Thomas O’Mahony

Continuity by Sandra Godkin

Titles by Mot Collins

Starring:

Jennifer Breslin as Mae

Méabh de Brún as Lil

Hannah Lochhead as Sadie

Emily Brennan as Ruby

Conor Hughes as Fishcake

Sex Pirates of 1931 is an homage to the female comedy teams of the 1930s, such as Joan Blondell and Glenda Farrell, Thelma Todd and Patsy Kelly, as well as the casts of the mighty Gold Diggers franchise. The title for my first film comes from Kiss Hollywood Goodbye, the memoir by screenwriter and novelist Anita Loos. When she wrote the script Red-Headed Woman for Jean Harlow, Loos referred to Harlow’s character as a ‘sex pirate,’ which is an apt description for a woman who turns the tables on a boss who expects a roll in the hay.

Watch the film:

Sass Mouth Dames Film Club series 33

Megan McGurk introduces two classic gems from the 1950s.

Tickets available at Eventbrite.

Have a glass of wine or bring your own.

Death of a Scoundrel (1956)

Screens Thursday March 13 at 7.00

Who killed George Sanders? Was it Bridget Kelly, the wharf hustler who became his executive secretary, played by Yvonne DeCarlo? Was it Mrs Ryan, the widow he swindled, played by real life ex-wife Zsa Zsa Gabor? Could it be Mrs. Van Renasslear (Coleen Gray), the married woman he seduced and tossed aside? Or was it Stephanie North (Nancy Gates), the budding ingenue he promised Broadway glory? Directed by Charles Martin, with cinematography by James Wong Howe, and a score by Max Steiner, the picture offers a glamorous postmortem of a savage financier who had it coming.

Beloved Infidel (1959)

Screens Wednesday March 19 at 7.00

Sheilah Graham was part of the mighty ‘unholy trio’ of gossip columnists that ruled Hollywood, along with Louella Parsons and Hedda Hopper. Sheilah distinguished herself by printing acid barbs about stars who were used to flattering publicity. In multiple books she covered a bigger story about her own affair with F. Scott Fitzgerald. The literary lion was a studio screenwriter on the skids when she threw him a lifeline. Deborah Kerr captures the unique torment of loving a man haunted by his own demons. Although critics believed Gregory Peck was miscast as Fitzgerald, the actor taps into the enduring appeal the Jazz Age novelist had for Graham.

Sass Mouth Dames Film Club Christmas

Megan McGurk introduces a classic Hollywood Christmas picture.

Tickets are available at Eventbrite.

Complimentary wine and snacks (or you can bring your own).

I’ll Be Seeing You (1944)

Ginger Rogers and Joseph Cotten meet on a train just before Christmas. They are equally lonesome and guarded, because they both struggle with the shame of a terrible secret. Will they succeed in hiding the past from each other? Or does the Christmas season give them a fresh start? Ginger Rogers is famed for dancing backwards in high heels, but don’t forget that she was a triple threat: She could sing and dance, but she was also an inventive comedian, and she was an accomplished dramatic performer. Joseph Cotton brings sensitivity and nuance to the role of a war-weary soldier. Shirley Temple and Spring Byington join an outstanding ensemble cast.

Refunds available until 24 hours before the screening.

The Dot Theatre is located across from Dax Restaurant in a laneway and to the left.

Look for the disco ball outside the door.

Sass Mouth Dames Film Club series 31

Megan McGurk introduces three gems about a social-climbing waitress, a hard boiled canary, and two warring novelists in October.

Get your tickets at Eventbrite

Good Girls Go to Paris (1939)

Screens 3 October at 7.00

Joan Blondell plays a waitress on the hunt for a rich husband. She strikes up a friendship with Melvyn Douglas, a swoon merchant disguised as a stuffed-shirt professor who can’t help giving lessons on how to be a lady. Trying to curb her penchant for accepting gifts from men, he advises that she only accept flowers, fruit, candy, and hospitality. Just how creative can Joan Blondell get with those directions?

The Big Street (1942)

Screens 10 October at 7.00.

Best known for being a comedic powerhouse who invented appointment TV and later bought the studio that once considered her only a second-tier contract player, Lucille Ball proves her dramatic chops in one of the best Broadway fables from Damon Runyon. Lucy plays a hard-boiled canary with a cash register where a heart ought to be. Henry Fonda, a bus boy, worships her from a far and then up close.

Old Acquaintance (1943)

Screens 17 October at 7.00.

Bette Davis and Miriam Hopkins play college pals who become rival novelists. Bette is the highbrow author who struggles writing literary fiction. Miriam writes bodice rippers that turn into commercial best sellers. Bette wears jackets and ties; Miriam wears ruffles and lace. Sparks fly whenever they meet, making the love interests with men the least interesting thing about the picture.

Sass Mouth Dames Film Club series 29

Megan McGurk introduces three classic woman’s pictures from Depression-era Hollywood Thursday nights in the Brooks Hotel cinema.

Tickets are available from Eventbrite

Faithless (1932)

Screens 2 May at 7.00

Tallulah Bankhead plays an heiress who lives on caviar, champagne, and designs by Adrian. She scoffs at the idea of living on the $400 a week her fiancé Robert Montgomery makes in advertising. After the Wall Street Crash, the best laid plans of sables, diamonds, and Monte Carlo go bust, catapulting our heroine into a rapid downward spiral. Tallulah loses everything—her money, possessions, and self-respect. When she hits rock bottom, will Bob Montgomery stick?

The Richest Girl in the World (1934)

Screens 9 May at 7.00

Miriam Hopkins shares a fizzy rapport with Joel McCrea in a picture that made a bundle at the box office and brought the co-stars together for four more pictures. Playing a savvy scion inspired by Woolworth heiress Barbara Hutton, Miriam fends off a shower of fortune hunters who toy with her affections. Since she can’t be sure of any man’s intentions, Miriam switches places with her secretary, played by Fay Wray, to discover if Joel is after her heart or her money.

Stella Dallas (1937)

Screens 16 May

Director King Vidor’s classic three-hankie melodrama captures the way society pressures women to conform within traditional roles. Barbara Stanwyck plays a brassy, fun-loving gal from the wrong side of the tracks who catches the eye of the son from a wealthy small-town family. John Boles falls for her unpolished charm, but as soon as they exchange vows, he tries to smooth her rough edges. Their daughter, played by Anne Shirley, inherits her father’s snobbery, and is mortified by her mother’s loud wardrobe. Barbara Stanwyck’s performance is a belter.