Bad Girl (1931)

A man and woman, skeptical about romance, nonetheless fall in love and are wed, but their lack of confidence in the opposite sex haunts their marriage.

Director:

Frank Borzage

Writers:

Viña Delmar (novel), Brian Marlow (play)

Stars:

James Dunn, Sally Eilers, Minna Gombell

Won 2 Oscars. Another 1 nomination.

Cast

Complete credited cast:
James Dunn	...	Eddie Collins
Sally Eilers	...	Dorothy Haley
Minna Gombell	...	Edna Driggs

Storyline

A mug and a jane: Dorothy knows that every guy is going to make a pass at her; Eddie knows that every gal wastes her money on good times. He's saving to open a repair shop. When the two of them meet, they can't believe they get along. One evening he leaves her waiting in the rain; she finds his apartment and reads him the riot act. They end up spooning and napping until 4 AM. She's afraid of her brother, who's her guardian, so Eddie figures she should tell her brother that she's getting married the next morning. Dorothy tries out the story but knows Eddie won't show up. It's the first of a series of promises, fears, miscalculations, and hard knocks. Where will they end up?

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Plot Keywords:

apartment | marriage | new york city | brooklyn new york city | hyperactive child | 

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Taglines:

The soul of humanity caught in a tear drop! (Print Ad-Southeast Missourian, ((Cape Girardeau, Mo.)) 14 September 1931)

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Genres:

Drama | Romance

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Certificate:

Passed

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

13 September 1931 (USA)

Also Known As:

Barn av idag

Company Credits

Production Co:

Fox Film Corporation

Technical Specs

Runtime:

90 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric System)

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

(1930). Stage Play: Bad Girl. Drama. Written by Brian Marlowe [credited as Brian Marlow] and Viña Delmar. Directed by Marion Gering. Hudson Theatre: 2 Oct 1930- Dec 1930 (closing date unknown/85 performances). Cast: Sascha Beaumont (as "Maude"), Lawrence Bolton (as "Pat"), Emily Graham (as "Mrs. Vernon"), Joan Harmon (as "Miss Lambert"), Martin Howe (as "Doctor Stewart"), Angela Jacobs (as "Mrs. Lensky"), Paul Kelly (as "Eddie"), Eleanor Merlin (as "Miss Parsons"), Grace Morse (as "Miss Brown"), 'William Pawley (I)' (as "Jim") [final Broadway role], Sylvia Sidney (as "Dot"), Walter Vaughn (as "Ted"), Joan Winters (as "Sue"), Charlotte Wynters (as "Edna"). Produced by Robert V. Newman. Note: Filmed by Fox Film Corporation as Bad Girl (1931) (William Pawley played the role of Dorothy's brother in the stage version, and reprises his role in the film).

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Goofs

At 34:06, the position of Dot's hands on her knees change, and the blanket also shifts, going from a quilted square pattern to a swoop line.

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Quotes

Dorothy Haley: I gotta go upstairs now. You see, my mother's dead, and my brother's boss of the house. He gets sore when I stay out late. You know, he's careful for me. But as Edna says, you can't watch a girl hard enough to keep her good if she don't want to be.

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Connections

Version of Manhattan Heartbeat (1940)

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Soundtracks

Come On Baby and Beg For It
(uncredited)
Written by James F. Hanley

User Reviews

Slice of Life Depression Era Drama

Bad Girl is included in the new Murnau/Borzage and Fox collection,and kudos to them for making it available! Though an excellent little slice of life film from the Depression Era, I definitely wouldn't say that it compares with Borzage's timeless silent romances, though Borzage's recurrent theme of love conquering all is here to.The lead actors,Sally Eilers, and James Dunn, both do fine jobs, especially Dunn, who paints a very realistic portrait of a "regular Joe", decent kind of a guy. His performance rings true, and he later made a comeback, winning the Oscar for Best Supporting Actor in A Tree Grows in Brooklyn.(1945) This is the story of a young couple's struggle to make it through marriage, finances, and becoming parents. The background story of what was considered "making it" in a poor economy is especially pertinent today. Dunn's character, Eddie Collins, thought it was opening his own radio shop, providing his wife with an elaborately furnished apartment, and getting her the best doctor for her delivery. Not so different from what young couples are facing today! The film is sometimes a bit too wordy, but the slang of the time is a hoot! As one of Borzage's smaller films, it's worth a watch.