Gender's interaction with class in early cinema often serves to reinforce western societal gender roles. It often depicts women as the submissive and subservient wife, laden with household responsibilities like cooking and childcare. They are not permitted sexual autonomy, as the sexually autonomous woman is often depicted as a villain who must be either reformed or punished by the end of the film. Despite this portrayal as a villain, the sexually promiscuous woman is also an object of desire to society's men. Regardless of how consistent their views are, the woman is objectified nonetheless. One who does break this mold and serves her own interests can reach great heights, often through a rags-to-riches story. The prosperity is often short-lived, however, as what is deemed correct and proper by society inevitably comes crashing down upon her. She cannot possibly live a satisfying life without a man for her to serve and depend on.
The dancers in Dance, Girl, Dance (Arzner, 1940) are living in poverty, only able to attain work in sleazy bars. Their work largely consisted of backup dancing to their one star, Bubbles. After struggling with employment, Bubbles leaves the group to perform burlesque on her own, and the rest of the group are left unemployed. Judy, desperately, begins performing as Bubbles' stooge to pay bills. She makes her money being berated by men, and only escapes this job when a ruling class, wealthy, male ballet producer scouts her talent during her stooge act. The two women, despite having performance talent, have to rely on men for their success. Bubbles is ruthlessly sexualized by her male audience, and Judy is "rescued" from this career by men. 
Judy escapes her role in a burlesque show, only for her career to rely entirely on a man once again.
In Mildred Pierce (Curtiz, 1945), Mildred is drowning in bills as her unemployed husband berates her for bothering him with her concerns. It is not supposed to be her responsibility to be concerned with these things. She's to cook and clean and raise the children. When she's forced to pay for things herself by selling her baked goods, her husband is upset, and leaves her after an argument about how he'd rather the kids have less than what they need than spoiled by things that they want paid for by Mildred's work.
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At the end of the film, Mildred, after losing everything, is faced with two choices. Live a life in independence, but squalor, having less than she had in the first place, or return to submission with her first husband, living with less than she put together on her own, but enough to get by. Mildred Pierce (Curtiz, 1945)
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Mary, overworked and solely responsible for caring for the children at the beach while Johnny plays his ukulele and relaxes. After all, Johnny brings all the money home. He couldn't possibly be expected to parent his children on top of that. That's the woman's role. The Crowd (Vidor, 1928)
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