Review of Baby Face (1933) by Walter M — 16 Feb 2013

In "Baby Face," Professor Cragg(Alphonse Ethier) lectures Lily(Barbara Stanwyck), a barmaid, on not living up to her true potential. That might have something to do with the dive bar where she works or her father(Robert Barrat) unsuccessfully trying to pimp her out to Ed Sipple(Arthur Hohl), a local mob boss, who suffers the painful response of Lily's rejection. So, it might not come as a surprise that Lily is ambivalent at her father's death in a sill explosion. With nothing left to tie her to Erie and almost no money, Lily decides to take up the professor's advice by traveling to New York City with her friend Chico(Theresa Harris) to get a job in a bank, using her charms of seduction. While so employed, she rises quickly and is recommended by McCoy(John Wayne) to his boss Brody(Douglas Dumbrille) for a promotion who in return takes a liking to her.

In olden times, women were not allowed to advance very far in business. So what was a poor woman like Lily supposed to do? The answer lies in the darkly entertaining and bracingly honest "Baby Face" wherein Barbara Stanwyck pulls out all the stops and then some as a character whose actions while not recommended, are certainly understandable by the social tenets of the day. At the same time, the movie takes shots at then current hypocrisies. For example, Stevens(Donald Cook) is engaged to Ann(Margaret Lindsay), the daughter of his boss(Henry Kolker). And how is that any different? On another note, I approve of any movie that references philosophy like this one but maybe psychology would have been the way to go instead for Lily, especially with the way she was raised.

Note: This is the original unedited version.