This story has more twists and turns than a second-rate soap opera.

A story that's too fascinating to pass by...

I think this is a new genre that they're all sort of working their way through it and haven't got all the kinks worked out yet but it's a genre that works for me.

The film's masterful storytelling did its job. The message was clear. No need to overdo.

This is your ordinary movie set this time of the Liberation of Women movement.Bette Grable goes to work for the firm of Dick Haymes. They refer to her as a typewriter constantly. Isn't better to say typist or stenographer?Naturally, the two fall for each other, but her involvement in the Women's Movement may make things go awry even though his aunt owns the firm and is a firm believer in the movement. Anne Revere is that person. Ironically, Revere and Roy Roberts, the latter appearing briefly in the film, share no scenes together as was the case with the Oscar winning "Gentleman's Agreement" that year.How could manager Gene Lockhart try to get Grable out when the Revere character owned the firm?Of course, there are plenty of Gershwin tunes in the film, but again it is ordinary and so highly predictable.

Women dressed like men in the suffrage meeting. Women band members. Haymes' aunt beautifully dressed, but tough and strong personality mesmerized others. Betty dressed very femininely, and even showed the ankle part of her beautiful legs when Haymes was nearby glaring wolfishly.Pilgrim, Peabody, Quincy. Boston New England names. Too much hatred of Boston, though. It would lose the Boston audience. Too insulting. There was no movie code against that kind of "ism".Haymes was a beautiful singer. I also enjoyed him in the movie State Fair.Type Writer became typist. Today, people type on smart phones and tablets. We no longer roll the paper into the platen. Today, also, women aspire to bachelor's degrees and higher, and not just office jobs. In the time portrayed in this movie, Betty's new profession was an uncomfortable situation and threatening to a lot of sexist men.Betty was actually valedictorian over a bunch of men, who comprised most of the graduating class.Miss is now Ms. Betty is still famous, and most people I would think never heard of Haymes.I was looking for the movie about the woman Type Writer, thinking it starred Ginger Rogers, but I think that that movie was called The First Traveling Saleswoman, about a woman who sold corsets also in the same Gilded-Age time period of this movie The Shocking Miss Pilgrim.1874 time period of this movie. American women got the right to vote in 1920. That was 46 years later. 1848 the American women's movement began with Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Lucretia Mott. That was a long, long way, Baby, to 1920. Women, go out to vote next week. Don't stay home. Every time you stay home away from the voting booth, there is still some man out there who is happy you kept your intelligent voice out of the political arena.This was a post World War Two movie, where many women had been Rosie the Riveter. The work world was no longer a stranger. It must have been amusing for women to see Betty conquering the all-male enclave, back in 1874.I did like the singing of Betty, in this movie, plus Haymes also.

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.

"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.