Red-Headed Woman is a 1932 American pre-Code romantic comedy film, produced by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, based on the 1931 novel of the same name by Katharine Brush, and a screenplay by Anita Loos.

She seduces her wealthy boss William "Bill" Legendre Jr. (Chester Morris) and cleverly breaks up his marriage with his loving wife Irene (Leila Hyams).

However, Lil finds herself shunned by high society, including Bill's father, Will Legendre, Sr. (Lewis Stone), because of her lower-class origins and homewrecking.

When Charles B. Gaerste (Henry Stephenson), a nationally known coal tycoon and the main customer of the Legendres' company, visits the city, Lil thinks she has found a way to force her way into the highest social circles.

It seems a social coup for Lil, until her hairdresser friend and confidante Sally (Una Merkel) points out that all the guests have left early to attend a surprise party for Irene (who lives across the street).

F. Scott Fitzgerald and Marcel de Sano were originally hired to collaborate on creating a script adapted from Katherine Brush's 1931 novel.

Despite all this effort, however, Thalberg was concerned that the original story and the first draft of a script by Fitzgerald and de Sano was too serious, and offered the job of rewriting it to Anita Loos, instructing her to provide something that was more fun and playful and with a greater emphasis on comedy.

In its April 12, 1932 issues, however, Motion Picture magazine (pg.11) reported seeing Jean Harlow at the premiere of the film Grand Hotel sporting red, "titian hair", suggesting she was involved in the production.

The "Modern Screen" gossip column in The Hollywood Times confirmed these suspicions in May 1932 stating: "Guess who is going to be MGM's 'Red-Headed Woman'?

McCarthy of the Motion Picture Herald wrote: "Sexy, racy, bristling with snappy dialogue, funny, [Red-Headed Woman] is loaded with dynamite that can be dynamic entertainment, or an explosion of objections unless you handle it properly and with all the finesse and ability that your showmanship experience commands."

Step-by-step [Harlow] succeeded, and the secret of her success was not precisely in her statuary beauty, nor in her famous platinum-colored hair: it was, above all, in her disturbing way of kissing..." The film was banned in the United Kingdom.