Watch Search for Beauty

Search for Beauty is a 1934 pre-code film directed by Erle C. Kenton, and stars Buster Crabbe, Ida Lupino, and Robert Armstrong. The film was made during a time when the US government had started enforcing censorship in Hollywood, and as a result, studio executives tried to push the boundaries of what was acceptable in their films. Search for Beauty is no exception in this regard.

The film revolves around two brothers, Bob and Bill, who own a health spa called the College Inn. The spa is struggling, and the brothers want to find a way to increase their profits. They decide to hold a beauty pageant and offer a $25,000 prize to the winner. To attract more contestants, they advertise the pageant as a chance to become a Hollywood star.

The pageant attracts a variety of contestants, including the lovely Dorothy (Ida Lupino), a poor girl who dreams of becoming a movie star. Her boyfriend, Harry (James Gleason), is jealous of her participation in the pageant but agrees to help her win.

One of the judges of the pageant is a famous Hollywood producer named Mr. Johnson (Robert Armstrong), who is looking for new talent for his next movie. He becomes infatuated with Dorothy and offers her a screen test. She is thrilled and convinced that this is her ticket to stardom.

As the pageant progresses, the film becomes increasingly risqué. There are scenes of women in skimpy swimsuits, bawdy jokes, and suggestive dances. The film even includes a scene where a group of male contestants strip down to their underwear and have an impromptu wrestling match.

The humor in the film is often crude and a bit dated, but it's clear that the filmmakers were trying to push the boundaries of what was acceptable in movies at the time. It's interesting to see what was considered scandalous in 1934, compared to what audiences are used to seeing today.

As the pageant comes to a close, tensions rise between the contestants, and a scandal threatens to derail the event. Will Dorothy win the pageant and become a movie star, or will everything fall apart?

Overall, Search for Beauty is an entertaining and somewhat outrageous film that offers a glimpse into the pre-code era of Hollywood filmmaking. It's not for everyone, but if you're interested in the history of film or want to see a movie that was considered scandalous in its time, then this is worth checking out.