City Streets (1931)

Nan (Sylvia Sydney) is involved with the racketeering business through her stepfather’s Pop Cooley’s (Guy Kibbee) gang. She’s fallen for The Kid (Gary Cooper), a shooting gallery showman and tries to convince him to join the gang. However, when Nan spends a year in prison after being implicated by her stepfather for a murder she didn’t commit, she realizes she needs to get out of the business and take The Kid with her. Unfortunately, The Kid, under the influence of Pop and his mob boss Big Fella Maskal (Paul Lucas), has gotten involved in bootlegging, hoping to earn enough money to get Nan out of jail sooner.
When Nan gets out of the clink she tries to convince The Kid to leave the whole business behind. The Kid is reticent, since the money comes easy and he gets his kicks from high-speed chases. However, Maskal has his eye on Nan and it won’t be long before he and The Kid will have to tangle.

Accordingly, this is the one and only gangster film Gary Cooper did. If you watch it, you will see why. He was totally out of his element as a wisecracking gangster, looking more suitable on a dirt road in the Wild West or being any other regular Joe in a small town. Please note- this makes him no less handsome in a pinstripe suit and fur coat. As for the film, it’s a regular formulaic early thirties drama, with the only bright spots being Sydney and Cooper’s performances.

Fun fact:

The storytelling technique of voice over was used for the first time in film with City Streets. Director Rouben Mamoulian had to fight the studios to have it done- it obviously took hold in a big way.

Thanks to Dr. Macro for the scans!

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The More the Merrier (1943)The World War II housing shortage brings three people together for an unlikely romance.Cast: Jean Arthur, Joel McCrea, Charles Coburn. Dir: George Stevens.

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Rain (1932)

Alfred Davidson (Walter Huston), a self-righteous missionary, his prim, proper wife, Mrs. Davidson (Beulah Bondi) and Sadie Thompson (Joan Crawford), are among the passengers on a ship docked in rainy Pago Pago. When they are all quarantined on the tropical island due to a cholera outbreak, Sadie, who has a questionable background, is subject to the Davidson’s “Christian charity”. Taking it upon himself to save her soul, despite the protestations not only of Sadie but some of the island’s military men stationed there, the inn keeper Joe (Guy Kibbee), and Dr. MacPhail (Matt Moore) another passenger from the ship, Davidson approaches, reproaches, and offers salvation. When Sadie denies his offer, Davidson has the governor of Pago Pago order her back to San Francisco, instead of letting Sadie go on to the next port. She begs Davidson to allow her to remain a few more days, so she can sail to Sydney, Australia instead. Davidson forces her to admit why she doesn’t want to go back to San Francisco- she’s wanted by the police for a crime she didn’t commit. Davidson tells her that to save her immortal soul she must serve the time in jail. After Sadie hurls insult after insult at him, Davidson stands his ground and prays out loud and Sadie experiences a religious conversion. She agrees to return to San Francisco and to serve the jail sentence. For the next few days she’s observed as being in a trance. The evening before she is set to leave, Sergeant "Handsome" O'Hara (William Gargan), who wants Sadie to go to Australia and marry him, tries but fails to get her to leave so he can hide her until the boat comes. Davidson comes to her rescue and dispatches O’Hara. Revealing she is frightened about her new life ahead, Davidson tests her by giving her the option to go to Australia. Sadie refuses and Davidson is full of glee. While native drums beat, Davidson succumbs to her beauty and accosts her. The next morning, he is found dead, having slit his own throat. Back at the hut O’Hara and Joe find the Sadie they first met, back in her own clothes with her make-up and lingo intact. It’s as if the trance has been lifted but who entranced who?

Note the lips and eye make-up here. Perhaps Joan used Sadie Thompson as an inspiration for her "new look" in the fifties?

This was an interesting film that showed missionaries in a negative, fanatical light, more so than The Bitter Tea of General Yen. Ironically, the Davidson character was softened so as not to offend any of the religious viewers. Davidson is a man who assumes Sadie is a bad woman simply because she acts differently from his wife and Mrs. MacPhail. He shows no mercy when Sadie reveals a little about herself and is consumed by completely invading and ruining her life under the guise of saving her soul. Though no synopsis seems to make note of it, I think the way the film plays out leads one to wonder if Davidson was under Sadie’s trance or she under his. This is especially noticeable as we see Davidson restlessly pacing the porch on Sadie’s last night, trying to overcome his temptation. When he succumbs to it his body movements match the beat of the native drums, the light fades and as the camera pans in on his face, the viewer sees the devil within. Very cleverly done in my opinion.

As for the acting, Crawford was still grabbing at her dramatic roots and reviews were poor, with many thinking she was in way over her head. Consideration must be given for this being an early sound film and the transition from silents. Crawford has a few enlightening moments where we glimpse her future success in drama but overall she came off garish and comical. As for Huston, I have yet to see him give a bad performance. He carried the film with a little help from the delightful Kibbee.

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National Velvet (1944) A British farm girl fights to train a difficult horse for the Grand National Steeplechase. Cast: Mickey Rooney, Donald Crisp, Elizabeth Taylor, Anne Revere Dir: Clarence Brown

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Pre-Code Dip: Big City Blues (1932)

Big City Blues is the story of Budd Reeves (Eric Linden), a small town boy from Indiana that spends only seventy-two hours in New York before he decides to come back home. Of course, you can’t blame him, in that seventy two hours he found love (Vida Fleet played by Joan Blondell), lost love, was cheated by his cousin Gibbony (Walter Catlett), hosted a bootleg liquor party, was witness to a murder, abandoned by his cousin and new friends, had a drink with a cougar (Serena Cartlich played by Jobyna Howland) found love again, gambled away his inheritance, arrested for murder then cleared of the charges.

Big City Blues exploits a cautionary tale to the limit and the characters simply revolve around Budd as he lets things fall into place and takes no action besides what he’s told to do by Vida who uses him just as bad as the others despite her motive not to. If this was to prove how green Budd was, it accomplished the goal but leaves the viewer feeling Linden gave a flat performance. I was also not impressed with how nonchalant the other characters at the party were when they were all hauled in for the murder compared to Vida and Budd who were overwrought with the accusations piled up against them.

You can classify Big City Blues as just another pre-code quickie with little treasures like Grant Mitchell as the doubtful station agent, Guy Kibbee as the drunken and clueless hotel detective, and Humphrey Bogart before he became known as a tough guy.

Side Note:

Not seen but heard, the film also features Dick Powell as the radio announcer.

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The Bitter Tea of General Yen (1932) An American missionary falls in love with a Chinese warlord.Cast: Barbara Stanwyck, Nils Asther, Toshia Mori, Walter Connolly Dir: Frank R. Capra

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Pre-code Dip: Footlight Parade (1933)

Chester Kent’s career is on the skids with the advent of “talkies”. After his wife leaves him he comes up with an idea to create musical numbers called “prologues,” short stage shows that are presented in theaters before the feature is shown. His idea is instantly liked by Silas (Guy Kibbee) and Al (Arthur Hall) producers and future dishonorable business partners. As the prologues become popular, Kent finds it harder and harder to come up with ideas and his job becomes even harder when a rival steals and produces his ideas before he can. Helping him out in his struggles are Nan (Joan Blondell), his secretary, protector and secret admirer; Bea (Ruby Keeler) dancer turned secretary turned dancer; Francis (Frank McHugh) his harried dance instructor, and Scotty (Dick Powell) juvenile lead. Together they best Kent’s business partners by getting Kent the money he deserves and they put on the three greatest shows to impress Mr. Apolinaris (Paul Porcasi) who owns the Apolinaris theater circuit: Honeymoon Hotel, By a Waterfall (impressive!) and Shanghai Lil.

This movie has got everything! Joan Blondell and her usual wise-cracks, Dick Powell’s dopey smile and warbling voice, Ruby Keeler under water, Frank McHugh imitating cats, James Cagney impressing us with his fancy foot work, Guy Kibbee, flustered as usual, and of course, Busby Berkley’s sensational choreography. Though I am not huge on musical displays, I can’t refuse a Busby Berkley production and the cast was wonderfully suited. It should be watched simply because it isn’t Cagney’s usual role. It’s a shame he wasn’t able to do more work that showed of what a talented dancer he was.

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Our Daily Bread (1934) When he inherits a small farm, a Depression-weary man turns it into a collective operation.Cast: Karen Morley, Tom Keene, Barbara Pepper, Addison Richards Dir: King Vidor

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