Red Dust is a 1932 romantic drama film starring Clark Gable, Jean Harlow and Mary Astor. It is based on the 1928 play of the same name by Wilson Collison and was adapted for the screen by John Mahin.
Jean Harlow played the role of Vantine, a loveable hooker who lives at Carson’s plantation in Southeast Asia. Carson is not immediately smitten with the gorgeous blonde, but they fall in love, and the chemistry between them is impressive. Mary Astor plays Barbara, the annoying another woman in the cast. During her husband’s recovery from an illness, she stays at the plantation with her boring society husband (Gene Raymond). The sexual tension between Carson and Barbara is explosive. As a comedian and actress, Harlow has evolved significantly since her earlier roles. Comparing her earlier roles to her performance here shows her progress. She had a platinum baby doll look that exuded sex and girlish innocence. Despite being cast as a stubborn, macho, headstrong man’s man, Gable makes for a likeable character
The Library of Congress selected Red Dust for preservation in the United States National Film Registry in 2006 as “culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant.”
