Susan Lenox: Her Fall and Rise (1931)

"I never knew they made a film together" said Michael as he walked in while I was watching this real oldie.  The "they" in this instance is Greta Garbo and Clark Gable, and why not, since they were both contracted to the same studio, MGM.  On the other hand, there are no Garbo movies with James Stewart or Spencer Tracy (also MGM-ers) so it is just our good luck to find these two starring here; in fact, it was Gable's first lead role.  What can I tell you -- she's gorgeous, he's dashing, and together they have a very hot sexual chemistry, but of course there would be no movie if that were the whole story.  She is on the run from her abusive family when they meet and fall in love; while he is away for a few days, they catch up with her, so she runs and ends up with a sideshow troupe (it's amazing how often these figure in '30s films).  The circus owner has his way with her while she is hiding from her pursuers and when Gable reappears, he rejects her for the slut he thinks her to be.  So while hating all men bar Gable, she uses her charms as first a dancer and then a kept woman; she contrives to meet Gable again in an attempt to further his career and again he rejects her.  (Gosh, he's a man of some weird principles!)  Ultimately she descends into being a bar hostess in overseas dives, all the while looking for her love, and he descends into the bottle -- until at last their paths cross again and they try to rise above their pasts.  In other words, it's a load of hokum, but nicely done, and at 75 minutes a guilty pleasure.