I've been re-watching some of my "wimmin's pictures" this week and a happy viewing experience they are. First up here is this Cinderella-ish story which has Loretta Young playing a very Swedish young lady in rural America who comes to town to train as a nurse and who ends up running for Congress. She never did take up nursing since on her way to the big city she is duped by a no-goodnik who takes all her money and who later on attempts to besmirch her blameless reputation. She becomes a maid in the grand political home of Joseph Cotton and Ethel Barrymore but makes her mark, not just for her efficiency but for speaking her mind as well at all the political hot air in the background. She had an Oscar for best actress for this role which was probably deserved, but the film remains watchable for all of its able cast, the very high production values, and a sharp script. We could use more of these nowadays.
The earlier film is a Joan Crawford vehicle directed by George Cukor who always managed to portray his female stars in the best possible light. I've never been too much of a Crawford fan although I like a number of her early films where she was part of an ensemble cast rather than looking to hog the whole spotlight. Here she plays a criminal type whose life has been blighted by her scarred face, but who finds love and redemption (and a restored face) with surgeon Melvyn Douglas. On the way, however, she thinks she has found romance with charming but evil Conrad Veidt, who was always believable as a shifty villain. Again the supporting cast rounds out the movie for me and while names like Donald Meek, Albert Basserman, and Reginald Owen don't ring many bells today, seeing these and other old friends always makes my day.
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