Hold Your Man

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Hold Your Man

Hold Your Man is a 1933 American romantic drama from Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, directed by Sam Wood (uncredited) and starring Jean Harlow and Clark Gable. It was the third of six pairings for the duo. The screenplay by Anita Loos and Howard Emmett Rogers is based on a story by Loos.

Plot
A small-time con man, Eddie Hall, hides from his latest victim in the first unlocked apartment he finds. It belongs to Ruby Adams, a cynical woman with many boyfriends. When it’s safe, Eddie tries to get to know her and she reluctantly starts to fall for him. Eddie’s partner schemes to blackmail one of Ruby’s married admirers, but Eddie cannot bring himself to involve Ruby in such a sordid scheme. During a break-in to defend Ruby, Eddie ends up killing the would-be victim. He escapes, but Ruby is caught and sentenced to two years in a reformatory. One of her fellow inmates turns out to be Gypsy Angecon, Eddie’s former girlfriend. When Gypsy tells Eddie that Ruby is pregnant with his child, he visits her—though he must pretend to be visiting another inmate to avoid suspicion. As authorities close in, Eddie resolves to marry Ruby so their child will be legitimate. With a minister visiting the prison, he arranges a wedding. Eddie is caught and sent to prison, but when he is released, he is welcomed by Ruby and their young son. Ruby then reveals that Al Simpson helped Eddie secure a legitimate job.

Production and reception
The film, which had working titles including Black Orange Blossoms, He Was Her Man, and Nora, went into production from mid-April to May 1933. The production reflected the stricter enforcement of the Production Code: Harlow’s character is punished for premarital sex, which is why Ruby spends time in a reformatory and why Eddie and Ruby end up marrying.

Hold Your Man was a box-office success, earning about $1 million on a budget around $266,000. Critics praised Harlow and Gable, noting the film’s move from its early sensational elements to its penitence. The chemistry between the stars helped cement Harlow as a major Hollywood icon, with her next film, Bombshell, following soon after.