This is the third of the "pre-code" Barbara Stanwyck films on the Criterion Channel that we've watched, and while it's probably last in "pure entertainment" value, it's probably the most culturally interesting. In all of them Stanwyck plays a similar brassy, mouthy modern young woman, ready to take care of herself, but this film's Lily is certainly the most ruthless of her three roles, and from the worst background. We are introduced to her in her father's speakeasy, where he tries to prostitute her out to a local politician so that he will continue to turn a blind eye to the illegal hooch-sales. And we discover that this is far from the first time he's done this, in fact he's been doing it since she hit 14. But this time she smashes a bottle over the politician's head (after first scalding his hand with hot coffee),
perhaps influenced by the words of advice of the Nietzsche-loving (no,
really) old German cobbler, who advises her that she should get out and
use her feminine power to get ahead.
Things are brought to a head that very night when the father's still blows up, taking him with it. She and the other speakeasy employee, "Chico" (who continually sings St. Louis Blues, to the occasional annoyance of those around her) hop a freight to New York (from Erie) but are discovered and threatened with jail. However Lily employs her seduction techniques for the first time for her own benefit (following Nietzsche's advice), while the screen discreetly fades to black. Next we see Lily and Chico walking between skyscrapers complaining about hunger, until Lily decides that one of them, a big bank building is the right one, and goes in to apply for a job. Many others have left disappointed, but weren't as ruthless as Lily, and her second "conquest" is the chubby male secretary who's been turning the others away. From then on she works her way up the food chain (starting with a very young John Wayne)
often getting men fired on purpose while feigning innocence herself. Her second-to-last stepping stone in the fiance of the boss's daughter, whom she ensures sees them smooching. This gets the boss involved and in no time he's got her set up in a love nest, dripping in furs, with Chico as her maid (now annoying the Boss with her singing). However, the smitten not-son-in-law tracks her down and tragedy strikes as he shoots the boss and then himself. The remaining bank board meets both to appoint the playboy grandson of the founder as the new boss and to decide what to do with Lily, who is threatening to sell her story to the papers for 10 grand. She thinks she's conned them into paying 15 grand for it when the unexpectedly savvy playboy pretends to buy her. sob story (about just wanting to live her life and support herself) and proposes to ship her to their Paris branch under a new name. She shocks him by actually succeeding and running the travel bureau of the branch amazingly well. But of course he falls for her, and even marries her, but then the bank crashes! And he's indicted! And he asks for all the gifts he's given her (including her suitcase of half-a-million in bonds) to bail him out. But she can't shed her Nietzschean ethos and instead splits to sail back to Paris (they'd been called back to NY by the panicked board). But then change of heart! But he's shot himself, broken-hearted! Is that the end? Watch it and see. So what's the message? Life's tough for dame from the wrong side of the tracks? Nietzsche will get you what you think you want but then you won't be happy? Either way, Stanwyck is good as always, and despite not being conventionally attractive, can play a convincing heartbreaker:
I wouldn't be surprised if this was the flick that convinced Billy Wilder to cast her in
Double Indemnity.
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