Forbidden (1932)

In this romance a librarian takes a cruise and falls for an unobtainable man, a district attorney married to a crippled woman.

Director:

Frank Capra

Writers:

Frank Capra (story), Jo Swerling (adaptation)

Stars:

Barbara Stanwyck, Adolphe Menjou, Ralph Bellamy

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Barbara Stanwyck	...	Lulu
Adolphe Menjou	...	Bob
Ralph Bellamy	...	Holland
Dorothy Peterson	...	Helen
Thomas Jefferson	...	Wilkinson
Myrna Fresholt	...	Roberta - Baby
Charlotte Henry	...	Roberta - Age 18
Oliver Eckhardt	...	Briggs

Storyline

On a cruise to Cuba, Lulu Smith falls in love with Bob Grover. Back home, she breaks off the romance when he tells her he is married. Lulu has a baby, but doesn't tell Bob, who turns out to be a rising politician. She passes herself off as the baby's nanny. When Bob learns what is going on, he adopts the little girl, not telling his wife or anyone else where she came from. Lulu gets a job at a newspaper. Things get complicated when the editor gets the dirt on Grover, but also wants to marry Lulu.

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Plot Keywords:

cruise | librarian | newspaper | district attorney | disability | 

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Taglines:

Her Greatest Dramatic Role !

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Genres:

Drama | Romance

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Certificate:

Approved

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English French

Release Date:

15 January 1932 (USA)

Also Known As:

Jane Doe

Filming Locations:

Laguna Beach, California, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Columbia Pictures Corporation

Technical Specs

Runtime:

85 min 85 min (Turner library print)

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric System)

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

While filming the horse-riding scene on the beach, Barbara Stanwyck's horse was frightened by the movie lights, reared, threw the star off, and then kicked her on the way down. Stanwyck suffered a dislodged tail-bone, an injury which, though it didn't hold up production, did cause the actress discomfort for the rest of her life.

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Goofs

The film begins in the present day, i.e. 1932. There is no attempt at period decor in any way; the automobiles, music, and clothing styles are all contemporary; twenty or thirty years pass by. The principals live out their lives, grow old, and die. Yet their surrounding environment never changes; it is still 1932.

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Quotes

Holland: The longer they no, the harder they yes!

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Soundtracks

"It's a Nice Day Today"
(uncredited)
Music by Irving Bibo

User Reviews

A fine melodrama.

Stanwyck plays a kept woman for a married politician. Out of her sheer devotion to him she decides not to cause a scandal when she falls pregnant. Instead, she disappears, but no sooner does the politician track her down and the film gets swept away by the melodrama of a soap opera. But what a fine melodrama this is. Capra managed to take the fat out of the story and move through time in great leaps and bounds. This film is full of surprises and never sells out to the moral crusaders of the time. Further more, the characters are human, playful, you feel for them as the story slowly sucks you in until you have no choice but to go along with the melodramatic symphony that plays with your heart and mind.