Baby Face

Rating:
Summary: An Amazing Pre-Code!
Review: "Baby Face" is one of the most important pre-code movies. It is amazingly honest and brave in depicting the story of a destitute girl trying to climb to the top. Barbara Stanwyck is simply great in her portrayal of the main character. Hard to imagine any other actress capable of such a magnificent performance. It is very sad that because of the Hayes code instituted in 1934 and that lasted for over thirty years, the great movie traditions of the amazing pre-code movies have been completely lost. It seems that the best of the pre-code movies that have not dated in seventy plus years, have been created in another universe. There is nothing like this in the modern movie making. The only thing that I did not like in the movie was the ending. It seemed contrived and added, probably, at the insistance of the people in charge to soften the harshness of the movie's message.

Rating:
Summary: Drek!
Review: ...because Barbara Stanwyck never really looked like a babyface to me--she's what the older generation called "a hard-looking dame". That notwithstanding, "Baby Face" is a real great Pre-Code movie. She's just so evil, right to the core! Baby Face just doesn't care who gets stepped on, cheated on, or even killed, just so long as she gets hers. Early on, she makes her vow to get even with lousy men and take 'em all for a ride, and she does, that is, until she meets that ladykiller, George Brent. Then, complications arise. Personally, I think the ending is a tack-on to soften the story a bit, because it just doesn't ring true to me, the way things were going. But don't take my word for it--see "Baby Face" yourself and draw your own conclusions!

Rating:
Summary: Great Pre-Code Movie
Review: Barbara Stanwyck was awesome as she workd her way to the top running through boyfriends. John Wayne has a small role as one of the boyfriends she runs over.

Hollywood was making really good movies pre-code. Despite being also used, women were empowered in movies then. Then code came in and they weren't even allowed to make suggestive poses.

Rating:
Summary: The real "Working Girl"
Review: Great pre-code (for that matter, brought-on-the-code) little story with vampy little Barbara sleeping her way to the top. The camera pans up the side of the bank with each new conquest; too bad the last scenes are a bit of a letdown. But it starts the tradition of Stanwyk going off on a guy, whether it be father (here), lover (Double Indemnity), or husband (Insert movie name here).

Great fun; I hope they put this one on DVD soon- the sight of John Wayne is worth the price of admission alone- it proves, that, yes, he did grow as an actor, as scary as that is.

Rating:
Summary: Dreck!
Review: I tried to watch this movie but it was horrible!

What the heck is this dreck and why the heck was Barbara Stanwick wasting her magnificent acting talent in it for?

I had to turn this movie off halfway through because I just couldn't watch it any more and waste my time by watching this mess!

This is pure absolute utter dreck!

Rating:
Summary: One of the Greatest a most daring Pre-Codes
Review: If you are fond of Pre-Code movies you're gonna LOVE this movie, in which Barbara Stanwyck's character, "works" her way up, the "money-ladder" (rather than the social one, 'cos she's basically a "kept woman"), ruthlessly and shamelessly, using her sexual attraction on all types of men.

It is Stanwyck's show all the way, with all the men in the cast, playing "second bananas" to her pivotal role. She appears dressed in some great-de-luxe early 30's clothing, by Warner's top designer Orry-Kelly.

In spite of the contrived ending, imposed by censors, as well as some cuts it underwent, this picture is thouroughly entertaining, 'cos is fun to watch Barbara getting her way almost all the time. Noteworthy performance by unknown Theresa Harris, as Chico, Stanwyck's pal and maid.

Barbara Stanwyck is one of the all time great american actresses, later films like "Stella Dallas", "Ball of Fire", "Meet John Doe", "Lady of Burlesque", "Double Indemnity", et al, confirmed her status as one of the top stars of Hollywood's Golden Age.

Highly recommended for Pre-Code Lovers. In fact, a must-see. This movie definitely could not have been done in the second half of the thirties, the forties or the fifties.

Rating:
Summary: BEFORE VICTORIA BARKLEY
Review: Stanwyck is a typically terrific as an ambitious working girl whose amorous adventures made the Hays Code blush. It's a sharp little melodrama very typical of the day with a fast pace and good performances. A great first half gives ways to the inevitable moral conclusion; John Wayne has a bit in coat & tie and it's a hoot. This video, along with NIGHT NURSE, THREE ON A MATCH among a few others is in the FORBIDDEN HOLLYWOOD series and they're fascinating pre-code doozies (a risque little flick called CONVENTION CITY with Joan Blondell (1933) was apparently destroyed because it was considered too raunchy. Blondell stated that there wasn't anything offensive about the film; it was just flippantly clever and "burlesquey" - what a shame! Also look for LADIES THEY TALK ABOUT.

Rating:
Summary: Naughty-Naughty
Review: What a hoot this pre-production code movie is! Barbara Stanwyck is a calculating woman who gets to the top by taking no prisoners! Unfortunately, some elements of this story just do not ring true (and probably didn't back then either). John Wayne appears in a very small role as one of "Baby Face's" conquests on her way up. I wonder what it would have been like to have seen this on the large screen back when it was contriversial--or would I have dared go??

Rating:
Summary: Boring, Repetitive and Predictable!
Review: Wow, I love old classic movies but this one proved to me that just because a move is old and considered a classic doesn't mean it's a good movie! Pre-code or not this movie was awful! I like Barbara Stanwyck but this B Movie was obviously made before she became a big Hollywood star and started getting more quality scripts! The movie was boring, repetitive and predictable! It was the same old thing, she seduced a guy, some little tune would play and she would be doing the same thing to another guy and you knew it would all lead to some kind of tragedy! What exactly is it about this movie that people like? I just don't get it, I kind of think the only reason people like Baby Face is because it's Pre-Code and had been banned for many years. The forbidden Movie! Sorry but it's just not worth the hype!