Beauty for Sale

Beauty for Sale

Year: 1933

Runtime: 87 mins

Language: English

Director: Richard Boleslawski

RomanceDrama

A beautiful woman lands a job at an exclusive salon that deals with the wives of wealthy businessmen. Her contact with these men leads to a series of affairs.

Warning: spoilers below!

Haven’t seen Beauty for Sale yet? This summary contains major spoilers. Bookmark the page, watch the movie, and come back for the full breakdown. If you're ready, scroll on and relive the story!

Timeline & Setting – Beauty for Sale (1933)

Explore the full timeline and setting of Beauty for Sale (1933). Follow every major event in chronological order and see how the environment shapes the story, characters, and dramatic tension.

Time period

1930s

The events unfold in the early 1930s, a time of economic strain and evolving social mores in America. Urban nightlife and fashion culture emphasize appearance and reputation. These elements shape the choices and consequences faced by Letty and the other characters.

Location

New York City

Set in Manhattan, the story centers on a boarding house run by Mrs. Merrick and the upscale beauty salon of Madame Sonia Barton. The city provides a glamorous backdrop where appearance and social status drive much of the plot. The environment contrasts small-town values with urban opportunity and moral ambiguity.

🏙️ City 🏠 Boarding house 💄 Salon district

Last Updated: October 04, 2025 at 18:48

Main Characters – Beauty for Sale (1933)

Meet the key characters of Beauty for Sale (1933), with detailed profiles, motivations, and roles in the plot. Understand their emotional journeys and what they reveal about the film’s deeper themes.

Letty Lawson (Madge Evans)

A small-town girl who moves to New York seeking opportunity. She is hopeful and practical, gradually wrestling with love, loyalty, and propriety as she navigates a glamorous but morally complex city life.

💫 Ambition 💕 Romance ⚖️ Morality

Carol Merrick (Una Merkel)

Mrs. Merrick’s daughter and Letty’s friend, embodying glamour and appetite for a luxurious lifestyle. She pursues a wealthy romance and influences Letty’s choices, highlighting tensions between affection and material aspiration.

💃 Romance 🏛️ Wealth 🧭 Influence

Mrs. Merrick (May Robson)

The protective boarding-house matron who offers guidance and concern for her guests’ reputations. She represents steady practicality amid the city’s temptations.

🏠 Host 🧭 Mentor 🤝 Authority

Mr. Sherwood (Otto Kruger)

A wealthy, married lawyer who becomes Letty’s romantic interest. He embodies luxury and risk, challenging Letty’s boundaries and testing her willingness to pursue desire at social cost.

💼 Power 💘 Temptation 🧭 Affection

Burt Barton (Phillips Holmes)

Madame Sonia’s mining engineer son who is involved with Jane and promises marriage. His presence intensifies the drama around loyalty, pregnancy, and future plans.

💰 Wealth 💑 Affairs ⚖️ Promise

Bill Merrick (Edward Nugent)

Letty’s devoted confidant and eventual fiancé, Carol’s brother who loves Letty. He represents genuine affection and the possibility of a stable, conventional life.

💞 Love 🕊️ Stability 🧩 Choice

Jane (Florine McKinney)

A salon employee secretly involved with Burt who becomes pregnant. Her subsequent tragedy reveals the harsh consequences of forbidden romance in a judgmental milieu.

💔 Tragedy 💼 Workplace ⚠️ Consequences

Freddy Gordon (Charley Grapewin)

Carol’s indulgent, wealthy boyfriend who pulls strings of social advantage and accompanies Carol on a Paris-bound trip. His role underscores wealth’s sway over romance.

💸 Wealth 🛫 Romance 🎢 Indulgence

Hortense (Isabel Jewell)

A fellow salon employee who contributes to the real-world atmosphere of the workplace and the social dynamics of the salon crowd.

👥 Coworker 🗣️ Gossip 🧭 Social

Robert Abbott (John Roche)

The architect of a new country mansion who appears in the unfolding plans tied to Mrs. Sherwood’s desires, representing status and future potential.

🏛️ Architecture 💼 Status 🔗 Relationship

Mrs. Fletcher (Symona Boniface)

An uncredited member of the social circle whose presence adds to the network of relationships and pressures within the salon world.

🌐 Circle 🗨️ Gossip 🧭 Society

Mrs. Lawson (Louise Carter)

Letty’s mother from the small town, grounding her daughter with traditional values and care for family reputation.

👩‍👧 Family 🏠 Small-town 💬 Advice

Last Updated: October 04, 2025 at 18:48

Major Themes – Beauty for Sale (1933)

Explore the central themes of Beauty for Sale (1933), from psychological, social, and emotional dimensions to philosophical messages. Understand what the film is really saying beneath the surface.

💍 Romance & Consequence

Love drives key relationships, but social rules and personal ambitions influence which bonds endure. Letty, Bill, and Sherwood navigate desire, loyalty, and propriety within a web of expectations. The narrative shows how romantic decisions ripple through friendships, marriages, and social standing.

🎭 Appearance vs Reality

The beauty salon and boarding house serve as stages where surface polish masks deeper wishes and moral choices. Characters perform roles of romance, ambition, and civility while hidden truths emerge. The glittering setting highlights the price of vanity and social performance.

🕊️ Independence & Morality

Letty’s arc tests conventional morality as she weighs independence against societal expectations. Pregnancy, marriage, divorce, and personal agency push her toward decisions that challenge rigid norms. The theme centers on asserting choice within a restrictive social world.

Last Updated: October 04, 2025 at 18:48

Mobile App Preview

Coming soon on iOS and Android

The Plot Explained Mobile App

From blockbusters to hidden gems — dive into movie stories anytime, anywhere. Save your favorites, discover plots faster, and never miss a twist again.

Sign up to be the first to know when we launch. Your email stays private — always.

Unlock the Full Story of Beauty for Sale

Don't stop at just watching — explore Beauty for Sale in full detail. From the complete plot summary and scene-by-scene timeline to character breakdowns, thematic analysis, and a deep dive into the ending — every page helps you truly understand what Beauty for Sale is all about. Plus, discover what's next after the movie.

Beauty for Sale Summary

Read a complete plot summary of Beauty for Sale, including all key story points, character arcs, and turning points. This in-depth recap is ideal for understanding the narrative structure or reviewing what happened in the movie.

Beauty for Sale Summary

Beauty for Sale Timeline

Track the full timeline of Beauty for Sale with every major event arranged chronologically. Perfect for decoding non-linear storytelling, flashbacks, or parallel narratives with a clear scene-by-scene breakdown.

Beauty for Sale Timeline

More About Beauty for Sale

Visit What's After the Movie to explore more about Beauty for Sale: box office results, cast and crew info, production details, post-credit scenes, and external links — all in one place for movie fans and researchers.

More About Beauty for Sale

Similar Movies to Beauty for Sale

Discover movies like Beauty for Sale that share similar genres, themes, and storytelling elements. Whether you’re drawn to the atmosphere, character arcs, or plot structure, these curated recommendations will help you explore more films you’ll love.