Shopworn (1932)

As usual Barbara Stanwyck is the best thing in this film, a melodrama taking a swipe at the rich over the poor, might over right, and lots of other 'causes'. 'Shopworn''s basic story is rather improbable - Stanwyck lives out in the sticks with her father, an engineer, when he is killed in an explosion at his works. She's off to her aunt and uncle (aunt beautifully played by the reliable ZaSu Pitts) to work in their greasy spoon but soon attracts the local men with her flirty ways.One day a customer who is rather more well-heeled comes in (a flat performance from Regis Toomey as the rich mummy's boy - Toomey would be seen in later years in the Salvation Army in 'Guys and Dolls') and Stanwyck falls badly, promising to marry him but getting packed away to a reformatory on morals charges when his ma finds out. So far, so predictable. Now she becomes a stage star - less likely - and returns to Toomey's home town to confront him.A sparky enough script and reasonably perky acting from some of the principals - Clara Blandick as the overbearing mother for one - and a powerhouse performance from Stanwyck keep you watching. But this film doesn't really know where it is going and the happy ending feels forced and rather unlikely.

In her tenth film, Barbara Stanwyck is the poor, working girl (Kitty Lane) who only wants to marry the man she loves, but his snobby rich family keeps interfering. Filmed J-u-s-t before the production code came into being, they put her away on "morals charges". Regis Toomey (competent, but Mr. monotone) stars as David Livingston, who wants to marry Kitty, but doesn't have the guts to stand up to his family. They go their separate ways, but meet up again later, when Kitty has become the successful entertainer, although they don't make it clear just what she does for a living now; Wearing rings and fancy jewelry when they meet up again, she tells him "Careful Dave, I'm a notorious, woman, and you'll probably get yourself talked about!" Oscar Apfel (always played the judge or the police chief) and Clara Blandick (Mom Livingston) team up to stop the marriage, but it all works out in the end... One of Nick Grinde's first talkies as Director. He and Zasu Pitts (Dot) had been in silent movies for YEARS before this film. Fun film, no big surprises.

Babs is a poor-but-honest small-town waitress in love with Regis Toomey (which in itself can't be easy), but she runs afoul of his mom, a pre-Auntie Em Clara Blandick, who is revealed to be snobbish, dishonest, unreasonable, and insufferably class-conscious. Even by the standards of the time, where lower-class gals always had a hard time of it crashing into society, Babs must endure endless humiliations, including ZaSu Pitts as an underwritten aunt. This Columbia potboiler, written and shot by folks who were also working on Capra early talkies at the time, is rather like Capra without Capra, and the anonymous direction doesn't allow for much style. But Stanwyck was always worth watching, and she gets to run through an impressive gamut of emotions before the hasty and unconvincing happy ending. And it's satisfyingly short.

SHOPWORN is a terrific little potboiler from Columbia Pictures in 1932 starring Barbara Stanwyck in one of her first good-hearted girls from the wrong side of the tracks. Barbara stars as Kitty, a waitress with no family and no means who attracts the attention of wealthy young Regis Toomey much to his hypochondriac mother Clara Blandick's displeasure. When learning Toomey plans to marry this "cheap" girl, Blandick pulls in her pal, corrupt judge Oscar Afel to put out a warrant on Kitty in a trumped up morals charge. Virtuous Kitty angrily refuses the judges offer of $5,000 to get out of town and instead serves her sentence. Once released, she is now embittered and not quite sure she can trust Toomey either.Now free, Kitty decides to enter a new racket where she becomes a sensation as a sexy nightclub songstress. Stage door Johnnies are all over the place and Toomey numbers among them but Kitty while still has feelings for him she remains untrusting. And old mother Blandick is still around to cause further trouble.This movie is highly watchable mainly because of two sensational actresses, Barbara Stanwyck and Clara Blandick. Everyone knows how fantastic Barbara is, she could find truth in the most hackneyed situations and she does not disappoint with this rather standard story. The superb character actress Clara Blandick's talents are less remembered today outside of her sweet Auntie Em in THE WIZARD OF OZ but she was really in her element playing mean old bats who went out of their way to make trouble. Usually Blandick's buzzards were rural hens but her she is equally effective as a moneyed monster. Blandick holds her own with Stanwyck and proves to be one of Barbara's finest female co-stars.Show biz history buffs will want to watch for Maude Turner Gordon in the supporting role of Mrs. Thorne. Ms. Gordon was one of the great beauties of the late 19th century and very early 20th century stage and makes as lovely and elegant a senior citizen as Stanwyck herself would a half century later.