Beauty for the Asking is a 1939 film drama produced by RKO Pictures, and starring Lucille Ball and Patric Knowles. It tells the story of Jean Russell (Ball), a beautician who is jilted by her boyfriend (Knowles) so he can marry an older but wealthy woman. Russell invents a new facial cream, and with the financial backing of her former boyfriend's wife (Frieda Inescort), starts a business that makes her a millionaire. Reception RKO's pre-release publicity claimed that the film was to be an "exposé of the beauty racket" but reviewers of the day concluded that it was a standard "romantic love triangle". Recently Leonard Maltin has written favorably of the film, suggesting that the film offered an unusual feminist viewpoint for its time, and acknowledging that Ball delivered a strong performance. Cast Lucille Ball as Jean Russell Patric Knowles as Denny Williams Donald Woods as Jeffrey Martin Frieda Inescort as Flora Barton-Williams Inez Courtney as Gwen Morrison Leona Maricle as Eve Harrington Frances Mercer as Patricia Wharton Whitney Bourne as Peggy Ponsby George Beranger as Cyril (as George Andre Beranger) Kay Sutton as Miss Whitman, Jean's Secretary Ann Evers as Lois Peabody Notes References Jewell, Richard B. and Harbin, Vernon, The RKO Story, Octopus Books, London, 1982. Maltin, Leonard, Leonard Maltin's 1998 Movie & Video Guide, Signet Books, 1997. External links 1939 films 1939 romantic drama films American black-and-white films American romantic drama films Films about businesspeople Films directed by Glenn Tryon Films scored by Roy Webb RKO Pictures films 1930s English-language films 1930s American films