Stanwyck loves Philip Reed, but Reed is such a cad he’s killed by a jealous husband within a few moments … Stanwyck crushed … miserable and unwilling to pull herself together, doesn’t care whether she lives or dies … recovering in the wilderness, she has a fall and is discovered by Frank Morgan … Morgan fascinated by her … more serious Frank Morgan than we’re used to … fascination turns to love, Morgan proposes … Stanwyck initially rejects him … accepts, but lets him know she could never wholly love him … based on a Willa Cather novel, but I’ve never read Cather, so this part of the story reminded me more of Irene’s bargain with Soames in Galsworthy’s Forsyte Saga, except Frank Morgan is a sweet guy … Morgan’s character fabulously wealthy, insanely busy with his law practice … dedicates his off-hours to making his new wife happy … introduces her to society … surprised that they all love her as perfect match and, eventually, perfect hostess … one of Morgan’s law partners, played by Lyle Talbot, develops crush on Stanwyck, but she keeps him at arm’s length … she may not love Morgan, but she’s loyal … besides, she doesn’t feel anything for Talbot, who she thinks of as a sweet boy … it’s a little different when Ricardo Cortez crash lands and disrupts Stanwyck’s gardening … she hates him on sight, so, of course, she loves him … what the eventual revelation does to the lovable Morgan character makes Stanwyck hard to love through much of the latter part of this one … likable but ultimately unrewarding part for Talbot … Cortez comes off sleazy (surprise!) and Stanwyck’s attraction would have been more acceptable if they stressed that it was all sex … but this was a September 1934 release, post-Code enforcement, so there goes that … handcuffs story, makes Morgan look like too big a sucker, Stanwyck too shallow … my IMDb rating: 6/10.
Lightning Review: A Lost Lady (1934) Starring Barbara Stanwyck
Lightning reviews are first impressions of movies I’ve yet to research for more detailed articles. Unlike my more polished full reviews there is little to no research here; sparse images and links; a more relaxed writing style. These are movies I’d love to eventually cover with a more fully developed article, but until time permits, here’s the short version:
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