The Last of the Pre-Codes: Finishing School (1934)
A quick Wikipedia of Finishing School will tell you that it was one of the last movies to slip out before the Hays Code was implemented in June of 1934. As soon as it was released, it was banned by the Catholic Legion of Decency, the masterminds behind cinema censorship. (You know how banned books are always recommended for how good they are? Same rules apply.)
Finishing School was also one of the earliest, and only, Old Hollywood films to credit a woman as director. Three cheers for Wanda Tuchock!
The movie starts off with an imposing view of Crockett Hall, a boarding school for wealthy society girls that promises to turn them into wealthy society ladies. Young Virginia Radcliffe (Frances Dee) is meeting the headmistress, Mrs Van Alstyne, and being released into her loving care to begin her journey towards a successful boarding school experience! Or something like that. Virginia has grand hopes for her time at school until she walks upstairs and meets her roommate. Any guesses who?
The rebellious Cecilia (Ginger!), who goes by Pony, opens the previously locked door to reveal the messy room she is to share with Virginia. After Mrs Van Alstyne leaves, Pony offers Virginia a cigarette. Gasp! Virginia declines, because of course, smoking is against the rules and she is a good girl who would never dream of smoking.
Pony and some fun-loving Crockett Hall girls take her under their wing, where she begins to loosen up and find the fun in things. They pass notes in class, plan trips with boys, and generally act like you would expect schoolgirls to behave.
On weekends, the Crockett Hall girls are allowed to leave, provided they have an approved chaperone pick them up and drop them off. Pony assures Virginia that her aunt will take them into New York, so there’s no need to worry!
On their way to the city, Virginia discovers that the woman traveling with them is not Pony’s aunt, but is just being paid ten dollars (in 1934!) to act like it. They arrive at a rather seedy hotel where they meet Chuck, Pony’s boyfriend, and Bill Martin, a Football Player™️. Virginia finds some confidence and tells Pony she’s always wanted to see how being drunk would feel. This leads to a rousing chorus of “Virginia’s going to get fried! Virginia’s going to get fried!”
Everybody gets fried, and Bill tries to make a move on Virginia, so she leaves the hotel in disarray. Lo and behold, she’s discovered on the street by a cute hotel waiter á la Roman Holiday. He drives her back to Crockett Hall where Mrs Van Alstyne is not happy to see her. Back without a chaperone? Goodness me!
The school year goes on, and Virginia and hotel waiter/medical intern Mac start dating, which further upsets the snobby headmistress. Society girl dating a waiter? Goodness me!
Virginia cracks the code of the school (keeping up appearances!) and confronts Mrs Van Alstyne: “You don’t care what I do so long as I’m not caught doing it!” Eventually Virginia gets banned from leaving Crockett Hall, and her Christmas holidays are taken too. (The punishments at this place are next-level.) Virginia’s neglectful parents send her money and a fur coat for Christmas, but it does little to cheer her up, especially since Pony and the other girls are at home throwing a party.
Just when she thinks she’ll be all alone on Christmas Eve, Mac shows up at Virginia’s window. Full of surprise and near-infatuation, she sneaks out to meet him in the boat house.
And now we enter into dangerous territory for the movies. It’s two months later, and Virginia wants to leave Crockett Hall. Why? Well, among other reasons, she’s going to have a baby. Double gasp! This is never directly stated on-screen, only heavily implied by disapproving glances and “what a disgrace”-s and Virginia going to the school doctor. Hence the uproar when Finishing School came out.
After hearing a summary of Anna Karenina (because the society women don’t have to read it, they just need to be familiar with the plot, of course), Virginia recognizes her own plight in the story. She contemplates jumping off a balcony in despair - but coming to the rescue again, it’s Mac!
She runs out to meet him, cries and tries to explain her problem, but he already knows. Pony told him! Because telling your friend’s boyfriend she’s pregnant is what friends are for. And being the all-around perfect gentleman, Mac’s got an easy fix - they’ll just get married.
They see Virginia’s father and tell him they’re getting married and does he have anything to say?
“Have a cigar!”
And they all lived happily ever after, I suppose.
All in all, Finishing School was okay? It wasn’t the best, but it certainly wasn’t the worst. Ginger was her funny, wisecracking, early-30s self. Frances Dee was good if a little over-the-top. The story itself was an interesting look at society and the expectations it puts on its young girls. I think also, since it was directed by a woman, it put a different spin on a normally taboo topic - kind of like “hey, out-of-wedlock pregnancy is a thing that happens.” Sort of a wake-up call for the 1930s.
Worth a watch if you like Ginger or Pre-Codes or want to see a female-directed Old Hollywood film!
P.S. RKO costume department, I would like the fuzzy pom-pom bathrobe, please and thank you.
P.P.S. TCM has added Rafter Romance, so you may or may not be getting another Pre-Code-Ginger article. We’ll see.
This sounds like the type of film I would like! Thanks for this fun review!
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