Bow plays Nasa Springer, a wealthy and rebellious heiress, whose railroad magnate father sends her off to finishing school, and into society in Chicago. She'd rather be whipping rattlesnakes (something she appears to actually do on camera), drinking, carousing, or really anything else than please her domineering dad. In fact, almost to spite him, she marries notorious lady's man Lawrence Crosby (Monroe Owsley), instead of the more staid groom dad had picked out.

The marriage doesn't go well, and she's living hand to mouth after the divorce, single and with a child, but too proud to ask her family for help. Nasa's life goes uphill and down, from bad to good to bad again, and back to good. The only constant seems to be the loyalty of her childhood friend, a "half-breed" Native American and white mix, Moonglow (Gilbert Roland). Nasa careens through life, hardly keeping the same mood for ten minutes at a time. She's uncontrollable, impetuous, earnest and passionate. And Bow doesn't hold back in her portrayal.

The story isn't all that great or innovative. It's standard bathos laden drama. But the film is competently constructed, and Bow has lots of talented actors to play off of. Technically, the film is workmanlike in its execution. Nothing flashy, but nothing sloppy either. What elevates Call Her Savage is Bow herself. She really has to be seen to be believed. It's unfortunate that the final twist is built upon some rather retrograde stereotypes, but it is a reflection of attitudes in that era, and it isn't enough to destroy the viewer's enjoyment. This is a pretty straightforward movie, but because of the female lead, it's Highly Recommended.

The DVD

Video:
The video is 4:3 standard and looks fairly good, and typical for a film from the thirties. There are some scratches and even what appears to be warping of the print from time to time, but these issues aren't significant enough to affect the viewing experience.

Sound:
Audio is Dolby digital 2 channel, and is also typical for a film of this era. The dialogue is clear, and there is no prominent hiss or other problem. No subtitles are included.

Extras:
There are no extras included, which is normal for the Fox archive films.

Final Thoughts:
The story of Call Her Savage isn't exceptionally good, and even the twist ending isn't much of a surprise. But the full on, passionate performance of star Clara Bow is worth it. She is outrageous at times, restrained and subtle at others, and has a physicality that is impressive. Check the film out for her, and stand in awe.