Damaged Lives (1933) User Reviews

Historically interesting film

[semi-buff · 5/10 · 19 July 2006]

*SPOILERS* Syphilis was the AIDS of its day (its day being several centuries), a death sentence, slow and horrifyingly debilitating, and passed to loved ones and children. Penicillin changed that, but at the time of this film I think arsenic was the only cure, and iffy at that, with risk of death. {See "Out of Africa."}

Not well written or acted, but historically interesting. They couldn't say "syphilis" but managed to get "venereal disease" and "syphilitic" past the censors. I also found it very interesting that an obviously part-African woman, Diane Sinclair, played a wealthy white woman who marries a white man! Since this was of course absolutely unheard of, I can only guess that the fact she was foreign allowed her to be viewed as exotic, and perhaps Indian rather than black. She would have been a good candidate to play Peola in "Imitation of Life"; but Fredi Washington was a far better actress.

Believe it or not, this film handles STDs better than you'd expect from this sort of film!

[planktonrules · 4/10 · 13 January 2010]

The DVD for this film is by Alpha Video--a company that almost always releases the poorest quality prints. In Alpha's defense, often that is the only print available, but the specialize in public domain and cheap-o films. If you can find another print by a different company, try it first as the print for this film is scratchy and faded. Still, compared to most Alpha DVDs, this one is excellent--especially since the sound is pretty clear (and Alpha never seems to include closed captionings--even with films with horrid sound).

A man has been dating a lady for a very long time. One night, he's a bad boy and spends the night with another woman. Soon afterwords, he comes clean to his fiancée about this, she forgives him and they marry.

Very soon after the wedding, he gets a frantic call from the other woman--she NEEDS to see him and has just tried to kill herself. When they meet, he learns that she has an STD and she wanted him to know that he, too, might now have it. Then, although there is a nurse there and they are treating her for the suicide attempt, she somehow finds a gun and kills herself! The makes a HUGE mistake. He does not tell his doctor and he doesn't tell his new wife. Some time passes and now she and the baby are infected! At this point, the doctor meets with the guy and tells him about the importance of getting treatment and they shows him rooms filled with horribly infected people (actually, these were just films of people with STDs that they spliced into the film--most of whom have syphilis).

In some ways the film is very progressive. It addresses a serious issue and it's interesting how the film encourages couples NOT to wait to get married but to marry fast and give in to those sexual urges--but only with each other (not bad advice at all). On the other hand, the film never exactly says what it's talking about. They never use the terms STD, VD or the like, nor does it even name the diseases. Often it is referring to syphilis but at other times it's talking about herpes or other STDs--the information just isn't very clear or specific--a VERY common problem with such films from this era. Audiences at the time must have felt quite confused about what they were seeing and many of the more naive probably needed to have some of their 'faster' friends explain it all to them!

Speaking of "such films", in the 1930s-50s, lots of small and often sleazy production companies made films decrying the dangers of drugs and sex (though often they really just wanted to promise a bit of cheesecake for audiences who usually could not see such racy fare in Hollywood films). Many of these are hysterically funny since they are so over-done and the information so inaccurate. The most famous examples are REEFER MADNESS and SEX MADNESS (both by the same two-bit production company) and compared to how salacious and stupid those two films are, this cheap film seems like it should be in the Criterion Collection!!

Interestingly, there are weirdos out there (I would definitely be included among them) that enjoy seeing the films because they are often so bad and so horribly made that they are great fun. This one, however, isn't THAT bad nor is the message that convoluted and the film of the victims isn't as grotesque as some similar films. While the message really should have been more explicit and useful, for a 1933 film it's pretty good--despite the occasionally poor acting and the ludicrous suicide scene. Remember kids--just say 'NO' to suicide!

Oh, by the way, the "two years of treatment" they talk about in the film was actually the norm for syphilis back in 1933. Nowadays, it's a lot more treatable--as are the rest of the STDs.

Edgar Ulmer, Budgetary Genius

[ofumalow · 5/10 · 4 May 2024]

Ulmer's first U. S. film has been classified as an exploitation cheapie a la "Reefer Madness," but despite the sensational subject matter (VD), some brief grisly medical footage, and a supposed budget of about $15,000, it looks like the figurative million bucks. Part of that can be attributed to the director's ability to get the maximum amount of style and production value from minimal resources, as his later career proved over and over. But quite likely those resources weren't quite so minimal after all: In truth "Damaged Lives" was made by Columbia, no doubt making full use of first-rate crew, elaborate sets, et al. From its higher-profile productions. There is nothing cheap about it, and the performers are also a definite cut above what you'd find in an actual tent-show exploitation pic of the era. Although that's how it was released--the studio decided it was too embarrassed to release this drama about a taboo issue under its own name, so it created a fake distribution arm and basically let it play the same kinds of gigs as "Reefer," "Mom and Dad," and other shocking "adults only" titles.

So anyway, that explains why this is a very glossy film for a supposed Poverty Row enterprise. Ulmer is terrifically assured already as a filmmaker, and if the script is not exactly sophisticated, he nonetheless manages a significant feat in getting pretty good performances from actors despite the feeble lines they have to deliver. Short as it is, though, the movie starts to plod when it gets to the horrible-consequences-of-sin part, with the last few scenes' really dragging pacewise. As nicely done as it all is, there still isn't enough depth or weight to ballast the eventual gloom, and of course it's more than a mite simplistic that the lesson learned is basically "Fool around...and you'll end up a suicide!"

So, worth seeing as a very precocious early feature for a notable director, though very much constrained in the end by the rather dully earnest treatment of a "shocking" theme--this is a much better-crafted movie than most you might compare it to from the period, but at the same time that means it lacks some of those genuine cheapies' giddy unintentional comedy.

"This Infection Was Contracted Innocently Too! Years Ago, Through A Kiss!"...

[azathothpwiggins · 22 June 2021]

After imbibing multiple, alcoholic drinks at local "speakeasys" and saloons, Donald Bradley, an innocent 35 year old youngster, and a "fun girl" named Elise Cooper, find themselves giving vent to the sinful lusts of their flesh. Burning in their unnatural desire, Donald and this temptress do that of which only Satan would approve!

Some time later, Donald marries Joan, his true love.

Oh no!

Elise contacts Donald, telling him the heinous truth! The clap of thunder sounds, as Donald realizes the cost of his momentary lapse in morality! Indeed, he's been infected by more than mere carnality!

Upon telling poor Joan just what has happened, scandal, humiliation, suicide, and utter despair commence!

Next, a doctor takes Donald on a tour through the nightmare world of Venereal Disease! DAMAGED LIVES shows the stark reality of what happens when young people act naturally, instead of doing what they're told! Heed the warning! Life was never supposed to be fun!...

Prurient, Incoherent And Banal

[boblipton · 3/10 · 31 July 2019]

Lyman Williams is engaged to Diane Sinclair, but it's to be a June wedding, so he goes home with Charlotte Merriam and goes offstage behind a closed door, leaving his jacket on top of her wrap. Now that he's a man, he's not interested in Contract Bridge, so he and Miss Sinclair elope. However, when Doctor Jason Robards Sr. summons him to Doctor Murray Kinnel's clinic, he gets a freak show of people suffering from.... an infectious disease. It will be two years' worth of treatment for Williams and the missus, but the baby will be all right, because that's what happens when you leave your jacket on a woman's wrap. Men Beware!

It's Edgar G. Ulmer's first film as director (not counting being one of several of PEOPLE ON SUNDAY). Up to then, hs day job had been set designer for people like Max Reinhardt and Cecil B. Demille, and the set design on this movie is great. When it comes to dialogue, it's somewhere between coyly banal and puerile, and the acting.... well Robards is good, but I don't know how he wound up being in this movie.

It's an exploitation movie that tries desperately to have it both ways: cover a worrisome public health issue like gonorrhea and syphilis before the Production Code clamps down, but not show or say anything that could upset anyone. The result is a stupid and annoying movie.

"Don't come near me! Don't touch me!" Well, too late.

[mark.waltz · 2/10 · 24 April 2019]

"Damaged Lives" has a damaged print, filled with lines, choppy sound that goes in and out (and is often impossible to hear), which makes it nearly impossible to get into. It is an exploitation film about syphilis, made before the production code although with a poverty row exploitation film, the production code probably didn't have much influence. The basic premise is a young man, engaged to be married, discovers that a girl that he slept with has given him venereal disease and must deal with this as well as the girls suicide, presented as it happens as if the girl just sneezed.

Really poor editing and a choppy script makes an already iffy story twice as bad, with the performances ranging from overly emotional (Charlotte Merriam as the girl who gives the boy VD) to unemotional and lethargic (Lyman Williams). Diane Sinclair, as the fiancee/wife has nothing really substantial to do other than fret about not being able to have a child out of fear of transmitting the disease which is really never spoken but seen in her eyes when she looks at Williams' nephew, as well as a breakdown at the end after discovering that she's pregnant. Even with a restored prints, this comes off as something that would be painful to try to get through oh, and I'm not going to wait for a restored print to make my judgment.

Early entry in the VD health scare sub-genre of "adults only" educational films

[AlsExGal · 4/10 · 19 May 2023]

This was produced by Harry Cohn's brother Nat at Columbia Pictures but released under the Weldon Pictures banner to provide some distance for the parent company. Workaholic Don Bradley Jr. (Lyman Williams) agrees to go to a nightclub dinner party where he meets bottle-blonde Elise (Charlotte Merriam). The two have a wild night of drinking and end up in the sack. Don feels guilty since he's engaged to marry nice girl Joan (Diane Sinclair), and the two decide to elope. Imagine Don's embarrassment when Elise contacts him some time later to inform him that she's tested positive for syphilis. Don hides his secret shame, but has he already passed it on to dear sweet Joan? Also featuring Jason Robards Sr. And Marceline Day.

This has all of the hallmarks of later films of the type: nice people brought to near ruin after a night's careless debauchery; a positive outlook after mostly doom and gloom; and a protracted sequence showing real cases of advanced venereal disease patients in all of their grotesque horror. The copy I watched ran a scant 53 minutes, but IMDb lists it as having a 64 minute run time, and another source lists 74 minutes, so most likely it depends on how much of the really graphic footage was cut from each print. This was produced in conjunction with the Canadian Social Health Council, and marked the ignominious American directing debut of Edgar G. Ulmer. He manages to add a couple of interesting visual touches that raise this above the crowd, but just barely.

Pretty Pointless Movie

[gavin6942 · 2/10 · 21 April 2011]

An extramarital affair leads to a young couple contracting venereal disease.

The Alpha Video presentation is very poor, with a grainy picture, frames that jump and sound that cuts out at times at at others is just not clear.

If anyone deems it worthy, this film should be cleaned up. Granted, it is not particularly interesting or even salacious, but an improved picture and sound would at least make it watchable.

The film is available in sets with "Reefer Madness", but do not be confused -- it is not in the same league. This one is not even unintentionally funny. It is just sad.

Serious 1933 film about the horrors and dangers of Venereal Disease that may surprise you

[sol1218 · 7/10 · 12 February 2005]

(Some Spoilers) Early 1930's educational movie about the horrors of contracting a social disease and the consequences that come along with it: blindness madness loss of ones abilities to function as well as infecting other people with it, even one's unborn children, and finally death. "Damaged Lives" is far ahead of it's times in educating it's viewers about the dangers Venereal Deasise. viewed now over 70 years after it's release back in 1933 is as good, if not better, then the many films about that subject made back in the 1940's 1950's and even 1960's.

Donald Bradley, Lyman Williams, is a top executive of a major shipping company who's been going study with his girlfriend Joan, Diane Sinclair, for some time. both are finally planing to get married and raise a family. Out at a party one evening Donald meets Elsie Cooper, Charlotte Merriam, and together they have one drink too many and before you know it end up spending the night together in Elsie's home.

Thinking nothing of his one night stand with Elsie Donald later marries his long time love Joan and they both plan to have a child, or so they thought. At the office Donald get a panicked call from Elsie telling him to come over to her place right away about something very important. Rushing over Donald finds out, to his horror, that Elsie has a sexual infection that she got from her boyfriend Nat, Harry Myers, and that she may have given it to Donald, and he in turn may have infected his wife Joan. Telling Elsie that she's wrong about him being infected and that she should seek medical attention Elsie shoots herself as Donald is just about to leave.

Getting over Elsie's tragic death Donald gets another surprise later when his doctor Dr. Bill Hill, Jason Robards Sr, comes over to his office telling him to immediately come with him to the hospital to talk to Infectious Disease Specialist Dr. Vincent Leonard, Murray Kinnell, about his wife Joan who's just been admitted there. The terrible truth about Donald and his wife Joan hits him like a bolt out of the blue and leaves him speechless, just like it did Joan earlier. Both have been infected and the infection is the dreaded and unspeakable,back in the 1930's, infection called Venereal Disease.

Told by Dr. Leonard that it would take some two years of treatment for both Donald and Joan to be completely cured it leaves Joan in a state of dangerous suicidal thoughts. Later in the film Joan, feeling that she has nothing to live for, closes all the windows in her and Donald's apartment and turns on the gas stove, full blast, in order to kill herself and Donald who was asleep at the time.

Honest film about the ravages of Venereal Disease and the damage that it does to those who are infected by it, both psychically as well as mentally, and how it could be cured if given immediate medical care instead of hiding it from one's doctor and keeping it hidden, for fear of shame and embarrassment, until it's too late.

Exploitation Film

[sbibb1 · 2 November 2004]

This is a typical early 1930s film warning about the dangers of unprotected sex and the diseases one can contract. The film was directed by Dwain Esper, who made several films in this drama. The film involves a young executive, with an important job and a long term girlfriend. His boss insists that he go out with him to a party and while out at the party he sleeps with a young wealthy woman, and contracts syphilis from her. The girl is so upset that she commits suicide. He is convinced to go to a doctor (played by Jason Robards, father of Jason Robards Jr) who displays poor people suffering from various infectious diseases. The young executive (who out of guilt has married his girlfriend, is upset when he finds out that his wife has syphilis too and that their baby might be infected. The wife, in a state of depression tries to kill herself, and her husband by opening the gas jets on the stove. There is a happy ending though.

The film is entertaining, and not quite as glum as it sounds. Played out in beautiful art deco sets, and with above par acting for this type of film, this public domain film, available in VHS and DVD is worth seeing if only for its risqué subject matter.

Poor

[Michael_Elliott · 8 March 2008]

Damaged Lives (1933)

* 1/2 (out of 4)

A year before directing the first team up between Boris Karloff and Bela Lugosi in The Black Cat, director Edgar G. Ulmer made this cheapie warning film. A man goes out and sleeps with a city girl, goes back home and marries his sweetheart but soon learns the city girl had syphilis. This isn't as silly as most of these warning films but the over-dramatic nature still doesn't work. The film drags on even though it lasts just over an hour. When it comes to these warning films I think the more camp the better and this one here is just too straight to keep it entertaining.

Going Places!?

[zardoz-13 · 29 July 2011]

Most of the time when you watch a vintage exploitation cult movie, you can count it in being pretty shoddy. The writing, the performances, the production values, and the directing are inferior. In fact, everything is so second-rate, you expect the film will be unintentionally funny, perhaps 'so bad it's good.' Typically, Poverty Row studios made these epics, or—in the case of director Edgar G. Ulmer's "Damaged Lives"—a major studio under another company title produced it owing to the taboo nature of the subject matter. "Damaged Lives" concerns syphilis. Nothing funny or unintentionally funny occurs in this modest 53-minute, black & white film. The genuine medical footage inserted in the story is tastefully done. There is nothing either sensational or lurid about it that would appall most people. Several examples of individuals afflicted with the consequences of syphilis are shown in either long shots or medium shots. There is no nudity, too. Unlike most exploitation movies, the characters are well-to-do, upper class citizens, and grimy criminals do not lurk in dark corners trying to persuade ignorant youth to engage themselves with women of questionable virtue. Ulmer and scenarist Don Davis treat the subject matter and the characters with more than a modicum of dignity. Sure, the protagonist suffers the consequences, but the consequences are not life-long. Neither the protagonist nor his wife die from VD so "Damaged Lives" concludes on an upbeat note. No, this doesn't qualify as a candidate for Mystery Science Fiction Theater.

Donald Bradley Sr., (George Irving of "Crime Ring") has given his son Donald Bradley, Jr., (Lyman Williams of "The Eleventh Commandment") a promotion to executive assistant to the president and placed him in charge of the operation of all his steamships. Evidently, Don Junior had been working for his dad at sea because he shouts when he gives orders in the office as if he were yelling at a crew aboard a ship. Senior breaks Junior of this bad habit, and Junior becomes integrated in the office. Later, he breaks a theater date with his fiancée Joan (Diane Sinclair of "Tomorrow's Children") for a business supper date with Nate Franklin (Harry Myers of "City Lights"), but they conduct no business. Nate has brought along a lady, Charlotte Merriam (Elise Cooper of "Alimony Madness"), but he abandons Donald and Charlotte and migrates to another table to flirt with another woman. Donald apologizes to Charlotte, "You see I don't quite know what I'm doing here." Donald and Charlotte get along with each other so well that they hit some other speakeasies. Eventually, they end up back at Charlotte's place, and things happen. Essentially, Charlotte seduces Donald, but Charlotte is no working class prostitute. She just enjoys having a good time. Donald is torn up about his affair with Charlotte and plans to marry Joan. Actually, he wishes that he had married Joan earlier so he wouldn't have gotten trapped in this predicament. Joan dreams about having children and dotes on the child that one of their friend couples have. At one point, Don's friend and physician, Bill Hall (Jason Robards, Sr., of "Code of the West") suggests that they get married. After Donald ties the knot with Joan, and the Justice of the Peace marries them for $2.00!

Later, about 23 minutes in the action, Donald receives a call from Charlotte. She insists that he come see her and Donald reluctantly visits her. Charlotte is rather distraught and takes her time telling Donald what is wrong. She confesses that she has had sex with Nat on several occasions and that she has contracted an infection. Donald doesn't understand what Charlotte means and dismisses the entire situation. As he is about to leave, he and Charlotte's maid hears a gunshot, and the maid finds Charlotte dead in her room. Surprisingly enough, the maid doesn't scream in shock. In a typical exploitation movie, the maid would scream. This maid doesn't exhibit any hysterics. Afterward, Donald visits Dr. Horton, and he pays the quack a $100. Horton assures him that there is nothing to worry about. Before long, Donald's family physician Bill persuades him to come downtown and visit a famous specialist Dr. Vincent Lennox (Murray Kinnell of "The Public Enemy") who confirms that Joan has venereal disease. Of course, Donald is aghast and refuses to believe it. Eventually, Dr. Lennox explains that he can treat them over a two-year period and everything will be okay. Lennox shows Donald a number of people who are suffering from syphilis. The worst example is a medium shot of a man's naked chest covered with pimples of some kind. Naturally, Joan is aghast about the revelation of her disease, too. She faints while they are at Lennox's clinic. Later, when they visit Bill and Laura Hall, Joan tries to kiss their little boy. Bill seizes his little boy before Joan can kiss him, then he apologizes for his momentary display of hysterics. After they go home, neither Donald nor Joan sleep with each other in the same bed. Joan tries to gas both Donald and herself, but Donald awakens and shut off the stove. Donald tries to reassure Joan that they can live with this experience between them. Things take a turn for the better at the end when a friend called them about a problem. The friend is pregnant and due to give birth in a week and she freaks out about because she ate pickles with her husband on a diner date. Our heroic couple laughs off the friend's predicament and "Damaged Lives" fades out.

Director Edgar G. Ulmer rarely made anything significant compared with other prestigious Hollywood helmers, but every film that he directed was done with style despite their low-budgets. "Damaged Lives" is not a film about debauchery, but an intelligent depiction of a social disease and its nearly devastating effects on a young couple.