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Baby Face (1933)
Baby Face (1933)
Director: Alfred E. Green
Writers: Gene Markey, Kathryn Scola
Cast: Barbara Stanwyck, George Brent, Donald Cook, Theresa Harris
Genre: Pre Code Drama
At 75 minutes (restored print with deleted dialogue added back in) this is a fast paced, hard hitting film. And one of the best of the pre code movies.
Writers: Gene Markey, Kathryn Scola
Cast: Barbara Stanwyck, George Brent, Donald Cook, Theresa Harris
Genre: Pre Code Drama
A dirt poor, young woman (Barbara Stanwyck) who's been sexual abused and exploited by her boot legging father, decides to use her sex to her own means. She ruthlessly exploits men, using sex as a means to get what she wants. She connives and sleeps her way up the corporate ladder in a big city bank until she's rich beyond her wildest dreams. CR
This is the film that brought on the Hayes censorship code. Baby Face is considered to be one of the most notorious Pre-Code films, and one that pushed the envelope of permissibility. The story idea came from Darryl F. Zanuck of Fox Studio who used a pseudonym to hide his true identity, one wonders why? Produced by the leader of cutting edge social commentary films, Warner Brothers Studio...and the rest is history!
The film is shocking on many fronts. It starts out in an illegal beer hall during prohibit, that's run by a unscrupulous man. We see slot machines...and serving the beer is the teenage daughter Lily, played by Barbara Stanwyck. It's implied that her dad prostitutes her to make money. When the building burns down killing him, Lily is glad and takes her friend, a black woman Chico (Theresa Harris), to the big city to make her way. The film is also unique in that Lily remains loyal to Chico through out the story. Despite the fact that Lily becomes hard as stone and uses anybody to get what she wants.
Barbara Stanwyck is awesome in this! This is one of her signature pictures. George Brent isn't too bad either, he plays the rich business man that Lily tricks into a relationship.
The film is shocking on many fronts. It starts out in an illegal beer hall during prohibit, that's run by a unscrupulous man. We see slot machines...and serving the beer is the teenage daughter Lily, played by Barbara Stanwyck. It's implied that her dad prostitutes her to make money. When the building burns down killing him, Lily is glad and takes her friend, a black woman Chico (Theresa Harris), to the big city to make her way. The film is also unique in that Lily remains loyal to Chico through out the story. Despite the fact that Lily becomes hard as stone and uses anybody to get what she wants.
Barbara Stanwyck is awesome in this! This is one of her signature pictures. George Brent isn't too bad either, he plays the rich business man that Lily tricks into a relationship.
At 75 minutes (restored print with deleted dialogue added back in) this is a fast paced, hard hitting film. And one of the best of the pre code movies.