Kicked out of New York downtown, escorted to Grand Central and off the train by 125th Street, alleged prostitute Carole Lombard decides not to go back to her home town of Danbury, the place they make hats, insisting that she's already got a hat. She also doesn't want to go back to Danbury, where as pal Mayo Methot says, "They don't bury their dead. They just let them walk around." Lombard screws cab fare from driver Pat O'Brien, and somehow ends up married to him, determined to remain in New York, somewhat respectable. But with a past like hers, she's in for a rough ride.
This is Lombard at her toughest, having always been sultry. But she's a less brassy version of Jean Harlow here, much softer in looks but hiding her vulnerability behind every wisecrack. It only takes love to soften her, as she confides in old street pals, she's changed because of his devotion to her. New York in the depression could be very depressing, although the idea of cops escorting hookers to the train station on the city's expense seems a bit absurd. As pre-code dramas go, this is pretty racy, with O'Brien's constant analyzing of women as "dames" rather revealing of the culture of the time. When he discovers the truth, the conflict in him starts to eat him alive.
A stark, adult drama about the pasts that destroy the best of human relationships, this seems to periodically run out of steam, going from each situation to the next with only the slightest of continuity to call this a "plotline". The dialog is tough, often brutal, and there's a sense of violence in the way O'Brien speaks to her, covering up his worries with an even bigger facade then what she had. This gives the film a great beginning, but there's a feeling of let down as each situation occurring seems more and more forced. The two stars are fine, and there are definitely some shocking moments, but under the surface, I just feel that something really vital to the story was missing.
This is Lombard at her toughest, having always been sultry. But she's a less brassy version of Jean Harlow here, much softer in looks but hiding her vulnerability behind every wisecrack. It only takes love to soften her, as she confides in old street pals, she's changed because of his devotion to her. New York in the depression could be very depressing, although the idea of cops escorting hookers to the train station on the city's expense seems a bit absurd. As pre-code dramas go, this is pretty racy, with O'Brien's constant analyzing of women as "dames" rather revealing of the culture of the time. When he discovers the truth, the conflict in him starts to eat him alive.
A stark, adult drama about the pasts that destroy the best of human relationships, this seems to periodically run out of steam, going from each situation to the next with only the slightest of continuity to call this a "plotline". The dialog is tough, often brutal, and there's a sense of violence in the way O'Brien speaks to her, covering up his worries with an even bigger facade then what she had. This gives the film a great beginning, but there's a feeling of let down as each situation occurring seems more and more forced. The two stars are fine, and there are definitely some shocking moments, but under the surface, I just feel that something really vital to the story was missing.