Shopworn (1932)

A poor but honest and hardworking waitress from way across the tracks meets and falls in love with a college student from the upper-stuffy class, but the Mama of the intended objects to the... See full summary »

Director:

Nick Grinde

Writers:

Sarah Y. Mason (story), Jo Swerling (dialogue),

Stars:

Barbara Stanwyck, Regis Toomey, Zasu Pitts

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Barbara Stanwyck	...	Kitty Lane
Regis Toomey	...	David Livingston
Zasu Pitts	...	Aunt Dot
Lucien Littlefield	...	Fred
Clara Blandick	...	Mrs. Helen Livingston
Robert Alden	...	Toby
Oscar Apfel	...	Judge Forbes
Maude Turner Gordon	...	Mrs. Thorne
Albert Conti	...	Andre Renoir
James Durkin	...	District Attorney (scenes deleted)

Storyline

A poor but honest and hardworking waitress from way across the tracks meets and falls in love with a college student from the upper-stuffy class, but the Mama of the intended objects to the romance. Her objections even lead her to having the waitress framed and sent to a prison work-farm for three months. Upon her release, the waitress finds instant stardom in the show business...and the social class she was lacking. Big Mama withdraws her objections.

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Plot Keywords:

waitress | stardom | college student | judge | banquet | 

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Taglines:

A SUPERB ARTISTE IN HER MOST GLAMOROUS ROLE...Barbara STANWYCK (original print ad - mostly caps)

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Genres:

Drama | Romance

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Certificate:

TV-G

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

25 March 1932 (USA)

Also Known As:

Perfidia

Company Credits

Production Co:

Columbia Pictures Corporation

Technical Specs

Runtime:

72 min 66 min (re-edited)

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric System)

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Even the original movie in 1932 had sequences deleted in Columbia's attempt to gain a seal of approval from the Hays office. Variety noted, in their revue of 5 April 1932, that there were sections "that do not blend into the story smoothly, sequences that hang in the air lacking background and significance as though passages depending on them had been deleted."

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Quotes

Kitty Lane: [to her Uncle Fred, who runs a greasy spoon] Your thoughts are just like your kitchen ... dirty.

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Connections

Featured in Barbara Stanwyck: Fire and Desire (1991)

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Soundtracks

"Bridal Chorus (Here Comes the Bride)"
(1850) (uncredited)
from "Lohengrin"
Music by Richard Wagner
Hummed by Regis Toomey

User Reviews

"Come on in 'copper and Earn Your Pay!"

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.