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Because of the prominence of the abolition movement in the 1830s -1860s, other American social movements of the day are not thought of very much. If you are interested, read Tyler's book FREEDOM'S FERMENT, which discusses the international peace movement, woman's rights, and other movements of equal interest in that period - only these did not lead to Civil War. The woman's suffrage movement had begun in 1848 in upstate New York, but it really does not get the momentum that made it memorable until the 1870s. Then Susan B. Anthony goes on trial (also in New York State) for daring to try to vote in a national election. Also Victoria Woodhull throws her hat into the ring (unofficially) for the Presidency in 1872. Later Anthony and Elizabeth Cady Stanton organize the woman's movement, so that after they both die in the early 1900s it grows until it achieves suffrage by Federal Constitutional Amendment in 1919.

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.

A whole crowd of directors on this one, due to various health issues, acc to the trivia here. Also a pretty large cast list, if you include all the credited, uncredited, and Scenes Deleted. Betty Grable is Miss Pilgrim, an early female pioneer to work her way into the office. I LOVE the symbolism of making her name miss PILGRIM. Grable made this about halfway between Moon over Miami and How to Marry a Millionaire. Dick Haymes is Pritchard, the boss, and he's shocked that a woman would even consider working for him. Ann Revere is his aunt Alice, who stands up for her, and demands she be given a chance. Gene Lockhart is in here as Saxon. probably the most interesting credit on here is the singer, Countess Elektra Rozanska. if you search around enough, you'll find her story.. apparently she worked with children to resolve their speech issues. and of course, the debate over whether she really was a countess or not. sounds like a made up title to me. As period pieces go, this one is actually pretty good! it's almost a documentary, with some humor thrown in to keep it from being boring. they mention the Parker House, an actual Boston landmark, with over 500 rooms. i personally could have done with less songs; the story, the characters, and the historical significance were quite enough to carry the film. good stuff. shows occasionally on Turner Classics.

It's funny that this film was a disappointment for Betty Grable and the studio, as I actually think it's better than most of her films. While I am not saying it's a great film, it is enjoyable and fits Grable very nicely. According to IMDb they attributed this to Grable not showing off her famous legs or because she wasn't peroxide blonde in the film. And, if you think about it, the film is supposed to be about equality and anti-sexism--and that's exactly how the studio execs behaved in blaming the film's lack of success on Grable's lessened sex appeal in this cute picture!

When the film begin, it's the 1870s and women simply did not work outside the home. So, when Miss Pilgrim (Grable) completes secretarial school and goes looking for a job in Boston, it's quite shocking and she naturally runs into sexism. So, she makes it a crusade of sorts to gain acceptance....and by doing so she becomes an important spokesperson for the women's suffrage movement! She also finds many friends in one of the strangest boarding houses you'll ever see in a movie!

The film is naturally filled with songs but not as many as in Grable's other films and a few of them are rather funny. Overall, it's a lighthearted and fun film about an important subject. Well worth seeing.

The highlight of this film is the undiscovered songs by George Gershwin, which brother Ira wrote new lyrics to and Kay Swift arranged to make a film score that is a delight. One genuine hit, "For You, For Me, For Evermore," plus a near-hit, "Aren't You Glad We Did," are supported by a host of other pleasing tunes, including the witty novelty, "But Not in Boston." Dick Haymes' rich baritone is another strong point in what is, from a storyline point of view, a rather silly film.

The Shocking Miss Pilgrim was born when Ira Gershwin might have been doing some spring cleaning and came on some old unpublished music of his late brother George. From that both a score came and a movie for that score, The Shocking Miss Pilgrim who shocked Boston by becoming a professional woman, a Type Writer.

Betty Grable is in the title role and she's graduated from a secretarial school in New York and she gets assigned to Boston to a shipping firm headed by Dick Haymes. Haymes is a proper Bostonian of the time and believes the woman's place is in the home. Eventually he'd like to see Grable in his home, but not in the office. When he tries to reject her, his sister suffragette Anne Revere interferes and Betty starts a career there on this newfangled machine called a typewriter.

As the first one in Boston, a city loath to break any traditions she's a hero to the women's suffrage movement, not something Dick is ready to deal with. Of course it all works out in the end and in a most peculiar manner too.

Of these trunk songs that Ira Gershwin developed for the film, For You For Me Forevermore and Aren't You Kind Of Glad We Did became posthumous hits for brother George. Both are duets in the film sung by Grable and Haymes. Dick recorded them for Decca with his usual singing partner Helen Forrest, but Betty as per Darryl Zanuck's ban on his stars recording never put these down on wax. A pity too, they're both presented quite nicely.

The Shocking Miss Pilgrim got very good reviews but did not do well at the box office. Grable's fortune was her legs and we got barely a glimpse of them in this film.

Fortunately we can still enjoy a musical literally born in a trunk.

I hadn't seen this movie for decades when I spotted it on Roku's Reel Classics. It is enjoyable, but it's easy to see why it didn't create the usual box office buzz of other Grable films. Not counting the inane school song in scene one, The first real song doesn't appear until 20 minutes into the plot. To my ear there are three fine tunes worthy of the Gershwin name. Changing my Tune; For You, For Me, Forevermore, and Aren't You Kinda Glad We Did. Since George had been dead for 10 years, Ira pulled incomplete tunes from George's "trunk" and completed them with the help of Kay Swift.

It's a nice diversion, but not a great musical.

I felt little chemistry between Haymes and Grable.

The print on Reel Classics was beautiful Technicolor.

"The Schocking Miss Pilgrim" a curiosity piece rarely seen these days. The film focus on the early women's right movement in the late 19th Century. Some of the ideas from that time still resonate these days, although there is no comparison. Director George Seaton delivers an entertainment movie that is enhanced by some unheard music by George and Ira Gershwin that is a delight to the ear.

Betty Grable, a charismatic actress, portrays Cynthia Pilgrim, who has just finished a sort of secretarial school in which the use of the typewriter by a female was a breakthrough. Ms. Pilgrim is assigned to Boston where she is the first woman employed by a solid old firm that only employs male personnel. Soon Cynthia changes the perception of the office about women in the work place, winning the heart of her boss John Pritchard.

The musical numbers are delightful without being flashy. Ms. Grable and Dick Haymes make some nice music together. Mr. Haymes with his melodic voice is one of the best things in the film. Also, Anne Revere and Gene Lockhart do excellent work in minor roles.

This film should be seen more often because of the charismatic Ms. Grable and her costar Dick Haymes.

Betty Grable as a New York City business college graduate in 1872--the top of her class in typing!--who is sent to work as a secretary at a shipping company in Boston, but is immediately rebuffed by the owner who feels women belong in the home. She naturally proves him wrong by being adept, efficient...and by adding a touch of femininity to the office (she's rather like Snow White surrounded by several smitten dwarves). Fox comedy with music was originally intended for Jeannie Crain but was given instead to Betty Grable, who had her first box-office disappointment here. The blame was put on the era's long dresses, thereby covering Grable's shapely legs (but not always, as screenwriter and director George Seaton does find a way to work her infamous gams in). Instead, executives at Fox should have clearly seen that colorless Dick Haymes was all wrong as Grable's boss (he projects all the sex appeal of a stepstool). The songs by George and Ira Gershwin are tuneful without being especially memorable, save for "Aren't You Kinda Glad We Did?" A nice change of pace for Grable, and one of her better movies from this decade. *** from ****

THE SHOCKING MISS PILGRIM was one of the few BETTY GRABLE movies that did not bring them in at the box-office, probably because her famous legs are not in display in this story about women in the work force, circa 1870s. Instead, the usually bubbly Miss Grable is seen in demure costumes, although her blonde hair is a rather garish touch considering the era.

She's paired with the rather weak DICK HAYMES, although his baritone voice lends itself nicely to a couple of Gershwin songs--notably "Aren't You Glad We Did?" and "For You, For Me, For Evermore".

As with all of Fox's Grable films, it's nicely photographed in Technicolor and there are supporting players like ANN REVERE and GENE LOCKHART to add a genial touch to the proceedings. The story itself concerns itself with the proper place for women at a time when they were new to the work force and found it hard to be accepted in the all male society of the office, even if they did graduate from secretarial schools. The film deals neatly with these aspects and has a certain nostalgic charm.

Not one of Grable's box-office hits, probably because she was too covered up to be the glamorous Fox star of previous musicals, but modestly entertaining for fans of the genre.

This is a first class musical. Several of the songs have become standards and continue to turn up in Gershwin orchestral compilations and in the repertoires of top cabaret artists. Ira Gershwin's lyrics for this show were among his wittiest ever.

Betty Grable and Dick Haymes are in great voice. separately and in duet.

The scenes in the boarding house peopled by eccentrics were highly original and very funny.

It is inconceivable that this film has not been released on VHS or DVD, and that there is no CD of the soundtrack.

It is my hope that some connoisseur of show tunes in the music business, like Michael Feinstein, will press for its release in some form.

I saw this for the first time today and unlike most other reviewers was struck by the mediocrity of the film and the unmemorable score.It is clear that Grable was putting on a few pounds in weight and it does seem puzzling that she was put in such a film unless it was felt that her star was on the wane.What intrigued me also was the fact she had a different dress for each scene.

This film is a post-war notice to women (who had been 'minding the store' while all the guys were over- seas)--that they just might have some choices. Not a strong statement to be sure--but surprising in its way. Not surprising is that Hollywood chose Betty Grable to represent the modern woman in this period picture. Betty was (in 1947) the highest salaried woman in the United States--and a box office champion (at a time when women really pretty much dictated what movies we were going out to see). So it is not Betty Grable the famous pin-up you are seeing (though she is also present, but under more wraps than usual)--it is Betty Grable the successful woman--who was a role model for women at that time in a way. They cared that she was glamorous, married, had children and a career--and was a hell of an entertainer. This film is charming and presents a slightly softened Betty--but a resourceful and independent Betty. As is so often the case, the resolution of the film is not a true triumph--but we are talking about the 1940's--so they took the ball as far as they felt they could. I like this film. I hope that you will, too. Betty and a great bunch of character actors will give you a really pleasant ninety minutes or so.

With all the Betty Grable films I've watched over the years, I was thrilled to see this one I had somehow missed. I don't mean to slight costar Dick Haymes, who often serves as Betty's nemesis, but eventually comes around to accepting her presence and feminist viewpoints, even romancing her. It's a combo of a musical comedy and a plug for the women's suffrage movement, back in the 1800s. Famous stars Shirley Temple and Doris Day, for example, also starred in films("Adventure in Baltimore", and "The Ballad of Josie", respectively), highlighting the women's suffrage movement............I enjoyed all songs, even if they weren't among the most memorable. I especially enjoyed the lyrics, penned by Ira Gershwin. The music was supplied post-humously by his brother George, as edited by Kaw Swift. Betty did most of the singing in the first half, while Dick, with or without Betty, did most of the singing in the 2nd half. I'm sure I heard more songs by Betty than listed in the credits?! .........All the actors did great . Poor Gene Lockhart was saddled with the role of being the most opposed to women (especially in the person of Betty) trying to enter roles traditionally reserved for men. But, even he eventually admitted that Betty's presence, as a typewriter, in an office otherwise populated by men, was a plus for the mood of the men, without distracting them too much..........The original setting is NYC, where Betty is taking a typing class composed of both sexes. But she draws an assignment in Boston, and follows through. However, in looking for a room, she gets a cold shoulder until she happens to knock on the door of a rooming house where everyone voices their displeasure with most Bostonians, as snobs, unwilling to associate with outsiders or oddballs. ......... The film did poorly at the box office, despite the presence of two star pop singers. It's generally thought this was because the screenplay doesn't allow Betty as much casualness as usual, and her hair is dyed brown, rather than blond or platinum..........I saw it on TCM, as part of an evening program commemorating the 100th anniversary of the 19th amendment. I didn't find the film on YouTube. However, the DVD is presently available. Happy viewing!

This is a film intriguing for many reasons. It has an uneasy postwar relationship with women in the workplace. It stars Bety Grable in an uncharacteristic role, and reveals Dick Haymes to be possessed of such a rich voice that he really missed the career boat as a vocalist. There is also a fascinating uncredited early appearance by Marilyn Monroe, and a star-studded list of contributors, including choreographer Hermes Pan. But what makes this film especially notable is the Gershwin music. Kay Swift's work with Ira Gershwin, from notebooks and unfinished sketches for various projects left by George Gershwin at his death in 1937, produced a complete posthumous score, the first for a motion picture.