Three Wise Girls

Directed by William Beaudine, Three Wise Girls follows Jean Harlow’s Cassie Barnes as she experiences romantic complications after arriving in New York City. It’s a thin premise that is, for the most part, employed to underwhelming and forgettable effect by Beaudine, as the filmmaker delivers a plodding endeavor that contains exceedingly little in the way of forward momentum – with the ongoing emphasis on Cassie’s less-than-enthralling exploits perpetuating the sluggish atmosphere. (It’s difficult, ultimately, to work up much interest in or enthusiasm for, for example, Cassie’s modeling career or encounters with a married man.) And while Harlow offers up as dynamic and engaging a performance as one might’ve anticipated, Three Wise Girls ultimately comes off as a disappointing misfire that feels long and padded out at just 68 minutes.

** out of ****