During the Pre-Code era before mid-1934, pretty much anything went in films...though OFTEN it was strongly implied instead of said outright. This is because there was no rating system and kids could easily be watching any film...so Hollywood often IMPLIED things like abortion, promiscuity and the like. Some films went much further than implying...but most implied. With the new Production Code, films were to be pure and things weren't even supposed to be implied. However, somehow "Unfinished Business" got made in the Production Code era and still implied quite a few things...but frankly, I am NOT sure exactly what it was implying and the film could be interpreted different ways. The more salacious way would seem to make the film make more sense.
The film begins in Ohio at a wedding. Nancy's younger sister is getting married and finally Nancy will be free to live her life. This is because Nancy ended up raising her sister and had no time for love. So now, she's eager to make up for lost time.
On the train taking Nancy to the big city, she meets a very suave rich guy, Steve Duncan (Preston Foster). He seduces her and she is naive enough to believe his promises...though to him she's simply another conquest.
Later, when she's working in the big city, she sees Steve...with his fiance! Obviously the louse had no honorable intentions and she is heartbroken. Steve's brother, Tommy (Robert Montgomery), sees Nancy is upset and takes her out for a night of drinking and merry-making.
The next day, Tommy awakens to discover he's married to Nancy! They try to make a go of it but ghosts of Steve interfere and the marriage is on the rocks. What's next? See the film.
Here are the two possible ways to interpret the film: One, Nancy made out with Steve but nothing more. Why she kept holding on to this memory and why she had so much trouble getting over him is a puzzler. She apparently is an idiot. Two, Nancy and Steve did the nasty. This makes it much easier to understand why she had trouble getting over him as well as the baby at the end of the film!!
Either way, the movie is pretty good...but the second explanation (clearly NOT a Production Code plot) really makes much more sense and if they'd been clearer about this (which they couldn't because of the tough new code), then it all would have made a lot of sense and would have been a better film. As it is, it's just confusing though terribly well acted.
The film begins in Ohio at a wedding. Nancy's younger sister is getting married and finally Nancy will be free to live her life. This is because Nancy ended up raising her sister and had no time for love. So now, she's eager to make up for lost time.
On the train taking Nancy to the big city, she meets a very suave rich guy, Steve Duncan (Preston Foster). He seduces her and she is naive enough to believe his promises...though to him she's simply another conquest.
Later, when she's working in the big city, she sees Steve...with his fiance! Obviously the louse had no honorable intentions and she is heartbroken. Steve's brother, Tommy (Robert Montgomery), sees Nancy is upset and takes her out for a night of drinking and merry-making.
The next day, Tommy awakens to discover he's married to Nancy! They try to make a go of it but ghosts of Steve interfere and the marriage is on the rocks. What's next? See the film.
Here are the two possible ways to interpret the film: One, Nancy made out with Steve but nothing more. Why she kept holding on to this memory and why she had so much trouble getting over him is a puzzler. She apparently is an idiot. Two, Nancy and Steve did the nasty. This makes it much easier to understand why she had trouble getting over him as well as the baby at the end of the film!!
Either way, the movie is pretty good...but the second explanation (clearly NOT a Production Code plot) really makes much more sense and if they'd been clearer about this (which they couldn't because of the tough new code), then it all would have made a lot of sense and would have been a better film. As it is, it's just confusing though terribly well acted.