Bennett left Fox to play Amy, a pert sister competing with Katharine Hepburn's Jo in "Little Women" (1933), which was directed by George Cukor for RKO. This movie brought Bennett to the attention of independent film producer Walter Wanger, who signed her to a contract and began managing her career. She played the role of Sally MacGregor, a psychiatrist's young wife slipping into insanity, in "Private Worlds" (1935) with Joel McCrea. Bennett starred in the film "Vogues of 1938" (1937), including the title sequence, in which she donned a diamond-and-platinum bracelet set with the Star of Burma ruby. Wanger and director Tay Garnett persuaded her to change her hair from blonde to brunette as part of the plot for her role as Kay Kerrigan in the scenic "Trade Winds" (1938) opposite Fredric March.