“You must use men not let them use you… be strong… exploit yourself…. Use men to get the things you want”. These words are said by an old man (quoting Nietzsche) to inspire Barbra Stanwyck, young and beautiful but old beyond her years already, to go make money.
It’s a remarkable scene in an amazing film – amazing mostly because it’s 1933 and Stanwyck sleeps with four guys within the first twenty five minutes: a guy she wants to persuade not report her for riding a train; an old guy at work; her boss; the father of her boss’ fiancé. Later on she finds true love courtesy of George Brent, but she originally only marries him for his money.
She drives him to suicide (she drivers another lover to suicide and murder) when she won’t lend him money that she’s gathered over the years – fair enough says I – he’s not a good shot though so there’s a chance he’ll live on, with Barbra having realised that money isn’t anything. That’s not really punishment for her sins – a year or two later and she’d have to be killed or wind up in prison; here she winds up rich, albeit with possibly dead husband.
There are other good things about this film apart from it’s pre Code attitudes to sex – Stanwyck gives a strong performance, John Wayne makes an early appearance (as a co-worker of Stanwyck’s – one of the few guys she knocks back), Stanwyck has a relationship with a black friend which has an easier camaraderie than we normally saw (although said friend still only becomes a maid when Stanwyck makes it), the acting is solid and the handling brisk, it doesn’t go for much longer than 70 minutes. It is a bit repetitive (another guy, another suicide).
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