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Fictional type of melodrama centered around a woman who commits adultery or has premarital sex, causing her to leave the security of her family. This results either in her becoming an outcast and declining to a humiliating life on the street, or using men to gain wealth through becoming a courtesan, "kept woman" or "gold digger." Class differences may help to make a woman susceptible to such a fate (TESS), although, on occasion, she may be redeemed by true love. Such work was generally made before 1950 or depicts the pre-1950 era and its mores, using a historical setting. Feature examples: ANNA KARENINA (with Historical; Adaptation); BABY FACE; BACK STREET; CAMILLE (with Historical; Adaptation); FORBIDDEN (1932); GENTLEMEN PREFER BLONDES (with Adaptation); THE GREEKS HAD A WORD FOR THEM (with Comedy); I'M NO ANGEL (with Comedy); KITTY FOYLE (with Adaptation); MADAME BOVARY (with Historical; Adaptation); MOLL FLANDERS (with Historical; Adaptation); NANA (with Historical; Adaptation); OF HUMAN BONDAGE (with Adaptation); RAIN (with Adaptation); RED DUST; RED HEADED WOMAN (with Comedy); SADIE THOMPSON (with Adaptation); THE SCARLET LETTER (with Historical; Adaptation); SUSAN LENOX: HER FALL AND RISE (with Adaptation); WATERLOO BRIDGE.

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