In the late 1800s, Miss Pilgrim, a young typist, becomes the first female employee at a Boston shipping office. Although the men object to her at first, she soon charms them all, especially ... Read allIn the late 1800s, Miss Pilgrim, a young typist, becomes the first female employee at a Boston shipping office. Although the men object to her at first, she soon charms them all, especially the handsome young head of the company. Their romance gets sidetracked when she becomes in... Read allIn the late 1800s, Miss Pilgrim, a young typist, becomes the first female employee at a Boston shipping office. Although the men object to her at first, she soon charms them all, especially the handsome young head of the company. Their romance gets sidetracked when she becomes involved in the women's suffrage movement.
- Cynthia's Mother
- (scenes deleted)
- Minor Role
- (scenes deleted)
- Cynthia's Father
- (scenes deleted)
- Cynthia's Sister
- (scenes deleted)
- Herbert Jothan
- (singing voice)
- (uncredited)
- Directors
- George Seaton
- Edmund Goulding(uncredited)
- John M. Stahl(uncredited)
- Writers
- All cast & crew
- Production, box office & more at IMDbPro
Storyline
Did you know
- TriviaThe Packard Business College was a real school in New York City, founded in 1858. It was still in operation at the time of this film and closed in 1954. 20th Century-Fox obtained the cooperation of the school and that of the Remington Museum who supplied the antique typewriters used in this film.
- GoofsMiss Pilgrim's hosiery and shoes are strictly 1946, not 1872.
- Quotes
Cynthia Pilgrim: I am a typewriter!
- Crazy creditsOpening credits are shown on a "sampler" something ladies used to make around the turn of the century.
- ConnectionsReferenced in Nowhere Boy (2009)
THE SHOCKING MISS PILGRIM is not the only film to tackle early woman's suffrage. There is a bit about the movement in the character of Miss Massingale in THE HALLELUJAH TRAIL, who keeps confronting (and romancing) Burt Lancaster's army Colonel. But THE SHOCKING MISS PILGRIM is actually the only film from that looks at the movement at a critical moment in it's history. A little background is needed here.
In the early days of the women's suffrage movement, there was considerable debate regarding allying the movement with other social movements of the day. However, Anthony and Stanton were convinced by Frederick Douglass to work for abolition, because if slavery was abolished (Douglas argued) woman's servitude would have to follow soon after. But in the post-Civil War years, the relationship between Douglass and the suffrage leadership soured. Douglass, once the 13th, 14th, and 15th Amendments got passed, was more concerned about African American (read African-American males) consolidating and expanding their gains. He started to curb joint efforts with Stanton and Anthony on woman's rights, claiming that it just was not the time (although his previous argument had been to strike when the fire was hot!). Anthony and Stanton eventually over-reacted. They never forgave the betrayal by Douglass, and soon they managed to make the woman's suffrage movement lily white (and rather racist towards the former male slaves who now - theoretically - could vote). A small African-American woman's suffrage movement pushed forward too, but it was fighting antagonism by male African-Americans, and racism by white women who should have been their sisters in arms.
The lesson though was now burned into the heads of the woman's movement - don't ally yourself with other causes. And, interestingly enough, this is the center for part of the plot of THE SHOCKING MISS PILGRIM. Betty Grable tries to keep her friends from allying themselves with another social movement which grew with woman's suffrage - Prohibition. She is unable to do so. In the decades from 1870 - 1920 many woman suffrage figures, like Carrie Nation, were also outspoken supporters of prohibition. These women (like Nation) had homes that had been wrecked by alcoholic husbands, so their stand and unity with Prohibitionists made sense. But the bulk of the woman's movement avoided this, because they did not want their political agenda tainted by a rival one. The same situation happened in the English suffrage movement too, when Mrs. Pankhurst's daughters split on allying with the British Labor Party, and the anti-war movement. Sylvia Pankhurst remained united with Labor leader and pacifist Keir Hardie, but her sister Cristobel was clever enough to offer to support the war effort in return for Asquith and Lloyd George's support for woman's voting rights.
THE SHOCKING MISS PILGRIM has several things working for it. The two leads had a good story. Dick Haymes was actually better in this film as the hero who learns to respect working women, than he was as the son in STATE FAIR. Grable actually had a role in a musical that did not begin and end with her gorgeous legs, and moderately pleasing singing voice - it is her meatiest musical role. The Gershwin score is minor Gershwin, but still enjoyable. Like minor Marx Brothers or minor Van Gogh etchings, they are still better than most people's best. The supporting character actors cast, led by Gene Lockhart, Allan Joslyn, and Elizabeth Patterson manage to give a gentleness to the story, befitting the setting in Boston in the "Gilded Age". It is a nice musical - not great, but enjoyable.
- theowinthrop
- Jun 12, 2005
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- Also known as
- Skandalflickan
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- See more company credits at IMDbPro
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- Budget
- $2,595,000 (estimated)
- Runtime1 hour 25 minutes
- Aspect ratio
- 1.37 : 1
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