Frisco Jenny (1932)
** 1/2 (out of 4)
Overblown drama from Warner has Ruth Chatterton playing 'Frisco' Jenny, a woman growing up in a brothel with her father. She's pregnant by a man but her father refuses to let her marry and just as he says no the 1906 San Francisco earthquake strikes, killing the father. Jenny is left poor so she gives her son to a rich family and she slowly starts to rebuild her life through illegal activities. Years later, Jenny commits a murder to prevent her now grown son (Donald Cook) from finding out that she's his real mother. Just to add more melodrama, the son is the D.A. who is going to prosecute her. Even with all that said, this film is just overbearing with all the drama and sadness it tries throwing at the viewer. Director WIlliam A. Wellman really doesn't bring too much to these emotional scenes even though he manages to get a good performance from Chatterton. The best moment in the film is the earthquake, which looks terrific. Some actual footage from the 1906 event is used but the special effects are just as impressive.
** 1/2 (out of 4)
Overblown drama from Warner has Ruth Chatterton playing 'Frisco' Jenny, a woman growing up in a brothel with her father. She's pregnant by a man but her father refuses to let her marry and just as he says no the 1906 San Francisco earthquake strikes, killing the father. Jenny is left poor so she gives her son to a rich family and she slowly starts to rebuild her life through illegal activities. Years later, Jenny commits a murder to prevent her now grown son (Donald Cook) from finding out that she's his real mother. Just to add more melodrama, the son is the D.A. who is going to prosecute her. Even with all that said, this film is just overbearing with all the drama and sadness it tries throwing at the viewer. Director WIlliam A. Wellman really doesn't bring too much to these emotional scenes even though he manages to get a good performance from Chatterton. The best moment in the film is the earthquake, which looks terrific. Some actual footage from the 1906 event is used but the special effects are just as impressive.