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Post by snsurone on Jul 16, 2018 18:30:34 GMT
This is a 1931 pre-Code movie starring Barbara Stanwyck in the title role.
It's also one of those early talkies where Clark Gable played a villain--in this case, the chauffeur to a wealthy widow who hopes to marry her and take control of her money, after starving her two little girls to death.
The first time I saw this film was in one of those NYC revival theaters that I miss so much.
I remember the final scene, showing a shrouded corpse on a guerney, with the ambulance attendant saying the body was dressed in a chauffer's uniform.
The audience applauded.
I guess what makes it pre-Code is that Stanwyck's boy friend, who saved her from the villains, made his living as a bootlegger.
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Post by mikef6 on Jul 16, 2018 18:40:37 GMT
A couple of other reasons it is considered "pre-code" is that a) it is filled with delicious dialog full of sexual innuendo and b) plenty of scenes of women undressing and changing clothes. At one point, Stanwyck is down to her slip when a male intern walks in. “Oh, don’t worry,” he says. “You can’t show me anything I haven’t seen. I just came from delivery.”
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Post by snsurone on Jul 16, 2018 18:43:53 GMT
You're right, Mike.
Thinking about it, It's incredible just how puritanical the Production Code was.
Scenes such as the ones you describe would elicit more yawns than titters today.
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Post by Doghouse6 on Jul 16, 2018 19:14:49 GMT
You're right, Mike. Thinking about it, It's incredible just how puritanical the Production Code was. Scenes such as the ones you describe would elicit more yawns than titters today. I put the puritanism down to Joseph Breen as much as the Code itself. Even though films like Night Nurse are called "pre-code," it was already in existence from 1930 but, with no authority, was largely ignored by studios and producers. It was the formation of the office of the Production Code Administration, and notorious bluenose Breen's installation as its head in 1934, that allowed him to rule with an iron fist, exerting his personal control over both content and other members of the PCA for the next 20 years. After his retirement and replacement by Geoffrey Shurlock in 1954, a decided relaxation of enforcement set in, years in advance of the retirement of the Code itself in 1968. People talk about "the Hays Code," but Will Hays never really had anything to do with its enforcement. What we call "pre-Code" should probably more properly be called "pre-PCA," but I guess that's too much of a mouthful. In any event, I blame Joe. |
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Post by snsurone on Jul 16, 2018 19:29:16 GMT
Breen was a disgusting, anti-Semetic bastard, and I hope he burns in Hell for all eternity!
But back to the movie:
The girls' so-called "mother" was in a perpetual alcoholic stupor, even when the authorities removed the children from her custody.
I hope they ended up in a good home.
To tell the truth, I also hope the pekingese was also re-homed.
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Post by BATouttaheck on Jul 16, 2018 20:31:22 GMT
Breen was a disgusting, anti-Semetic bastard, and I hope he burns in Hell for all eternity! But did he insist on publically posting the endings of films at every opportunity ? |
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Post by petrolino on Jul 16, 2018 23:50:04 GMT
Cool movie.
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