The Wicked Lady

The Wicked Woman is a 1945 film starring Margaret Lockwood, created by the studio Gainsborough Pictures. This film is not in the pre-code era, however adopts many of the same themes, such as the liberation of women's sexuality. Themes such as these explored in the film are particularly obscene as it is set in the 17th century.

The synopsis is as follows:
17th-century beauty Barbara Worth starts her career of crime by stealing her best friend's bridegroom. Her next exploit is to recover gambling losses by donning mask and cloak and taking to the roads as a highwayman! The thrill of these ventures proves addictive...especially when she meets a male highwayman who becomes her lover. Together, the two desperados lead a gay secret life, pursued by the local magistrate Sir Ralph Skelton...Barbara's husband! To what further crimes will the wicked Lady Skelton descend?

This film was extremely popular, although not with critics, whom thought it was just another full-blown melodrama, yet one review said:
"The Wicked Lady has an undeniable sweep and a vigorous dash that carries the audience right along. It may be too excitingly plotted for some, but it always looks so terribly authentic, it is hard not to be drawn into the machinations of villainess Lockwood or sympathize with the careless, carefree vigor of James Mason's full-blooded Captain Jackson. A welcome cast of deservedly popular support artists help round out the movie's terrific production values. Aside from some obvious process screen effects, no expense has been spared. In fact, this Wicked Lady is lavish to a fault". IMDb

This film may be classed in some terms a 'melodrama' however due to the departure of the pre-code era, women were drawn to such a genre, it was thought of at the time as the only female-led genre going. Unfortunately the gangster movies, westerns and thrillers of the time all cast women as the 'damsels in distress' or the ones to get the beating. The production code put a stop to any other liberating female role; therefore women were left to such roles as these; however this still pushed the production code laws, even after 12 years of its enforcement.