Of all the pre-Hays Code films Barbara Stanwyck made-and there were tons-Shopworn might be my favorite. Jean Harlow must have been busy and the studio didn't want to wait for her, because this is a typical Jean Harlow vehicle. If you liked Hold Your Man and The Girl from Missouri, rent Shopworn and see Stanwyck's Harlow impression.
Barbara plays a low-class diner waitress who flirts with all her customers. She attracts the attention of the wealthy Regis Toomey, but his mother, Clara Blandick, can't stand the idea of her son sullying himself with someone so low. I loved seeing Regis and Clara in leading roles, since I only remembered Regis as Brother Arbide in Guys and Dolls and Clara as the secretary in The Girl from Missouri. Seeing them younger and with more meat to their parts made this truly feel like an old movie.
Clara goes to great lengths to prevent her son from marrying the low-class waitress, and it's both shocking and completely realistic to see how far she goes. This is a great romantic drama that could only have been made in the 1930s. The idea that a loose woman is the greatest evil in the world just doesn't translate in today's world. I loved stepping back in time and soaking up the magic of Shopworn. Jean Harlow fans should totally check it out.
Barbara plays a low-class diner waitress who flirts with all her customers. She attracts the attention of the wealthy Regis Toomey, but his mother, Clara Blandick, can't stand the idea of her son sullying himself with someone so low. I loved seeing Regis and Clara in leading roles, since I only remembered Regis as Brother Arbide in Guys and Dolls and Clara as the secretary in The Girl from Missouri. Seeing them younger and with more meat to their parts made this truly feel like an old movie.
Clara goes to great lengths to prevent her son from marrying the low-class waitress, and it's both shocking and completely realistic to see how far she goes. This is a great romantic drama that could only have been made in the 1930s. The idea that a loose woman is the greatest evil in the world just doesn't translate in today's world. I loved stepping back in time and soaking up the magic of Shopworn. Jean Harlow fans should totally check it out.