Post by rmichaelpyle on Feb 24, 2009 11:30:42 GMT -6
Watched "Pick-Up" (1933), a REAL PRE-CODE (!), with Sylvia Sidney and George Raft. This is blatantly pre-code, from title, to theme, to actual occurrances, moreso than what I usually see in these early ones. Sylvia, although she sleeps in a separate bed in a separate room, lives with George Raft after he picks her up. Now, the pick up needs to be defined. Raft assumes that Sidney is a pick-up girl from the way they meet. She could have become one, in fact, but didn't have the time - nor probably the inclination. She'd just been released from prison for a crime, and her husband still is there. Yes, she's already married. Anyway, Sylvia and George fall in love. But that's no where near the end! As you might guess, her husband gets out of prison. By this time Sylvia's been dumped, sort of, by George, too, because she won't marry him. HOWEVER, she discovers that she lives in a state where she can have her marriage annulled due to certain prison rules, so she does. It gets her into more trouble than she bargains for, but I won't give away the spoilers. And they're pretty good, too. This was really a good film, far fetched if ever there was a pre-code far fetch, but it's well done, and Sidney can act up a storm. She became known as the "poor man's Bette Davis", but long before Bette Davis was anything to reckon with Sidney was already chewing up the scenery in films like this one. If you ever have the chance, watch it. It's directed by Marion Gering, and others in the cast include Lilian Bond, William Harrigan, Robert McWade, Brooks Benedict, Purnell Pratt, and a really, really oily Clarence Wilson.
I watch an old film nearly every night. I'll start posting more reviews here if anyone's interested. This film above was a new one for me, so I decided you might be interested.
I watch an old film nearly every night. I'll start posting more reviews here if anyone's interested. This film above was a new one for me, so I decided you might be interested.
I guess I am finally dumbfounded. ;D However, thank you for your well-written review of this film! 
I guess it's one I'll have to watch for. Did you watch this on DVD?
:thumbsup: 
