Back Street

At our recent film society screening of this film (we very luckily have a 16mm print in The National Film and Sound Archive here in Australia) it was very apparent of the skill of director and his star in what is an subtle and underplayed telling of this Fannie Hurst tearjerker. There is an absence of musical underscore very typical for the period prior to 1934, and this added to the potency of the effect of Dunne's absorbing and masterful performance, illustrating her as not just a star but an actress as well. Overall this film has a very gentle feel with slow fade-outs used frequently in giving this effect. Dunne is wonderful in her playing earlier in a lighter fashion and makes a skillful transformation into the section of the film where she is older and more serious. I had sympathy for her character in spite of the sacrifices she makes for John Boles, remaining in the "back street" of his life. I see director Stahl as a sort of predecessor to Sirk in his handling of solid fare such as this and "Leave her to Heaven" (1945).

Being a mistress to a married man is a thankless position to be in, according to one of early 1900's more popular novelists, Fanny Hurst. Her 1931 'Back Street was an enormously popular best-selling novel about a confident young woman in Cincinnati who's swept off her feet by a man about to get married. Universal Pictures took the bold step to bring Hurst's book onto the screen in August 1932's "Back Street." Irene Dunne plays the independent Ray Schmidt, whom in modern times was a cinch to be a highly successful business woman. Walter Saxel (John Boles), while stepping off a train a week before he conjoins with a rich socialite in the city, has the temerity to ask the strolling Ms. Schmidt out on a date. So begins Ray's slippery slope down a frustrating rat hole.

Before divorce laws determined that either spouse could cite reasons to split, couples had to BOTH agree for the separation before the courts' ruled the marriage over. If one refused, then no divorce was granted. Many prominent figures, such as William Randolph Hearst and Spencer Tracy, failed to get their spouses to agree on a separation, and would, if the mistresses were lucky, shack up with them. According to "Back Street," playing second fiddle to a married man was a delusory, lonely life. In fact, the term "back streets" derives from Hurst's book. Ms. Schmidt informs her friend, who finds herself in a similar situation with a married man, that "there is no happiness on a back street in anyone's life." Ray Schmidt finds herself in this relationship because, to use a Blaise Pascal phrase, "the heart has its reasons which reason knows nothing of."

John Stahl's adroit direction is aided by, as film reviewer Antti Alanen notes, "Irene Dunne's extraordinary performance. Her film career had started but two years earlier, her performance here reflects she has already a mature approach of great charm, sophistication, and complexity." The American Film Institute nominated Stahl's work as one of 400 to be considered for the top 100 America's Greatest Love Stories.

BACK STREET (Universal, 1932), directed by John M. Stahl, from the popular novel by Fannie Hurst, is not so much a story about a certain street in a certain town, but a love story of two people who have each other but are unable to unite as husband and wife. While such a theme might have been a product for a Ruth Chatterton or Kay Francis, the heroine in question was awarded to Irene Dunne, on loan from RKO Radio, based on the strength of her Academy Award nominated performance in 1931's Best Picture winner, CIMARRON. John Boles, a likable actor and fine singer of screen musicals who made his way through dramas, assumes the sort of role suited for prospects as Ronald Colman or Ricardo Cortez. Under Stahl's direction, BACK STREET turned out to be a money maker for the studio, career advancement for Dunne, and further roles in the "soap opera school" for Boles, including another opposite Dunne in THE AGE OF INNOCENCE (RKO, 1934).

The story begins at the turn of the century, "Cincinnati, in the good old days before the Eighteenth Amendment." Ray Schmidt (Irene Dunne) is introduced as a carefree girl living at home with her father (Paul Weigel), whom she works at his store; stepmother (Jane Darwell); and half-sister, Freda (June Clyde). Popular with the men, she's loved by the ambitious Kurt Shendler (George Meeker), who hopes to marry her after investing in the profitable automobile business. Fate steps in when Ray's friend, Mr. Bakeless (Walter Catlett), a traveling salesman, introduces her to visiting businessman, Walter D. Saxel (John Boles), at the train station. Their one day courtship turns to love. Although engaged to marry his childhood sweetheart, Walter hopes to change all that by arranging Ray to meet with him and his mother (Maude Turner Gordon)the following afternoon at Eden Park by the band stand. Delayed due to Freda's personal troubles, Ray's late arrival finds her watching the crowd gathering away. Five years later, Walter, a junior partner in the banking business, and Ray, employed at a Wall Street firm, meet again on the streets of New York. In spite of Walter's marriage to Corinne (Doris Lloyd) and father of two, he finds he cannot live without Ray. Leaving both her job and apartment, Walter arranges for Ray to take up residence elsewhere so they can meet secretly and resume their relationship. Posing as a married woman, Ray keeps very much to herself during Walter's business or family trips, corresponding only with her friendly landlady, Mrs. Dole (ZaSu Pitts). As Ray befriends a troubled girl named Francine (Shirley Grey), whose life parallels hers, advising her to break off her relationship with a married man, Ray continues living her "back street" existence with Walter for the next 25 years, leading to complications when confronted by Walter's now grown children (William Bakewell and Arletta Duncan).

The success of BACK STREET produced many imitations, along with two remakes for Universal: 1941 starring Charles Boyer and Margaret Sullavan (the best and most revived version), and 1961 featuring Susan Hayward and John Gavin (the least inspired in spite of Technicolor and up-to-date story). While remakes usually fail to compare with the original, the 1941 version is an exception to the rule. Boyer and Sullavan's enactment of Walter and Ray improve over Boles and Dunne, each more satisfying playing loyal or long suffering spouses than unfaithful husband and his mistress. Boyer's acting is more direct, especially during a scene when confronted by his son about his illicit affair, to then order him to "mind his own business" as compared to Boles' more polite manner in the same situation. The only time Boles breaks away from his gentle manner is when Ray asks him to "give her a baby," but even his outrage as to how this could ruin him is more controlled than forceful. Dunne's handling of Ray, too, is gentle and soft-spoken throughout, except during the opening in a couple of unrelated scenes where she speaks and acts in the manner of actress Barbara Stanwyck. The underscore that sets the tone for plot and characters, used to great advantage in the remakes, is sadly lacking in this "back street" of classic love stories. For Irene Dunne, greater movie roles, I REMEMBER MAMA (RKO, 1948) included, were ahead of her.

Out of circulation possibly due to the latter remake(s), the original BACK STREET sufficed again at revival movie houses in the 1970s, public television by 1982, American Movie Classics (1991) usually on a double bill with the 1941 version, and finally Turner Classic Movies (TCM premiere: September 9, 2023). Of the three adaptations, only the 1961 carnation had further exposure with its distribution on home video in the 1990s. (**1/2)

I have seen the later versions that were done of this movie, and none compare to this one. Irene Dunne is superb, and brings a lot of depth to her role...you really get to care about her character, and sympathize with her plight.

Only saw this movie once on television years ago, and have not seen it aired since. As far as I can tell, this 1932 movie is not available on tape or dvd at the present time...a real shame, for it certainly needs to be!

Three of the best actresses around, Irene Dunne, Margaret Sullavan, and Susan Hayward all played the lead role of Rae Schmidt in three different versions of Back Street. It's a timeless tale and can be adapted to any time and place in history. The novel by Fannie Hurst was written in 1931 and most of the action takes place in the pre-World War I years and then jumps to the present day of 1932 reflecting the time she's been a Back Street woman.

Back Street the story is once again an affirmation of the heart having its own reasons. In this first film version Irene Dunne meets John Boles who is an upwardly mobile young man in the banking business. That's it for her she's in love. But Boles is about to get married to Doris Lloyd. Still when Boles goes to New York where he becomes successful he sets Dunne up in an apartment there and she's his kept woman for over 20 years.

Reading the Wikipedia article on Back Street one crucial component is missing from this adaption. The fact that Boles is Jewish and much under his mother's thumb to marry within the faith. Maude Turner Gordon plays the mother and she's formidable. But Boles is the weakest thing in this adaption. Without the religious component he comes across like a Mama's boy.

Like it or not Dunne is stuck on him. She even passes up an opportunity to marry boy next door George Meeker who makes it big with those new fangled contraptions, the horseless carriage.

Back Street both book and film version and take your choice set a standard for tales of romance on the side and sly. This one set the mark for the other two to follow.