Even though the material is not as great, MANNEQUIN (not to be confused as the 1987 movie), manages to convey a deal more. This is mainly because of the teaming of Spencer Tracy with Joan Crawford. He being an actor of restraint who could convey so much more than any actor of his time, brings in Crawford a similar chemistry in which she wisely opts not to out-act him (or her own fiery self), and for all of MGM's false production values set aside for once (Crawford as an Lower East Side resident screams false at every turn, more so when seeing her "tenement" apartment), their performances come true and the movie, for all its escapism, works. Scenes linger in the mind, like the inconclusive subway scene in which Crawford underplays her sadness, or the plausible turmoil in which Tracy's character goes through once he realizes he's lost everything. I found that despite the sore-thumb presence of Alan Curtis as the guy Crawford impulsively marries and the irritating acting of Mary Phillips, the main characters actions were pretty consistent and not forced to comply with an obligatory happy ending. Overlooked by the Oscars, its only nomination was in the Best Song category for "Always and Always."
