Shopworn

Babs is a poor-but-honest small-town waitress in love with Regis Toomey (which in itself can't be easy), but she runs afoul of his mom, a pre-Auntie Em Clara Blandick, who is revealed to be snobbish, dishonest, unreasonable, and insufferably class-conscious. Even by the standards of the time, where lower-class gals always had a hard time of it crashing into society, Babs must endure endless humiliations, including ZaSu Pitts as an underwritten aunt. This Columbia potboiler, written and shot by folks who were also working on Capra early talkies at the time, is rather like Capra without Capra, and the anonymous direction doesn't allow for much style. But Stanwyck was always worth watching, and she gets to run through an impressive gamut of emotions before the hasty and unconvincing happy ending. And it's satisfyingly short.

Have always been a big fan of classic film (pre-1970s) of all genres, and certainly don't have anything against comedy and romance. Far from it, there are many classics. Other than my love for classic film, the biggest reason for wanting to see 'Shopworn' was Barbara Stanwyck. Have always found her a wonderful actress and have yet to see a bad performance from her (though there is plenty more to see), one of the better ones of her generation in my view.

'Shopworn' is certainly watchable, it actually takes a lot for me to say that something is lacklustre or less. At the same time, it is a disappointment when it actually had all the ingredients to be very good and even great with the right execution and there is much better in the genre. Stanwyck comes off very well but she deserved better and there are things done pretty well, but what should have particularly worked doesn't quite and the waste of ZaSu Pitts is unforgivable.

The best thing about 'Stanwyck' in a classic example of a performance that is much better than the film itself, her character's determination, dignity, charm, sensuality and wit are all brought out brilliantly and quite relateably. The best of the rest of the actlors is by a mile a frighteningly beastly Clara Blandick. While not mind-blowing, the photography is very pleasing to look at. Especially clever in a banquet scene later on in the film.

Furthermore, the costuming and settings are handsome, and the music fits nicely and while not amazing it at least fits and is pleasant. There are a good deal of very snappy dialogue, with lines tht do put a smile on the face. The story has its charms and is not dull at least. The chemistry between Stanwyck and Regis Toomey has its moments and the direction, while not exactly special, is not the kind that is indifferent or amateurish.

On the other hand, Toomey generally is very bland and looks stiff. If he was a better presence his and Stanwyck's chemistry would have been more believable. Pitts has very little to do, and her rather subdued presence means that she doesn't really register.

Would have slightly forgiven the lack of surprises if the film didn't let itself down as much in the last 15-20 minutes or so. This portion felt rather rushed and contrived, and did it really need "to" on the somewhat convenient and saccharine way that it did?

All in all, above average for mainly Stanwyck but disappointing. 6/10

Shopworn (1932)

** 1/2 (out of 4)

Barbara Stanwyck plays Kitty Lane, a poor waitress who one days meets David Livingston (Regis Toomey) who is of course rich and comes from a respectable family. The two fall in love and decide to get married but his rather evil mother (Clara Blandick) will stop at nothing to keep them apart. Thinking he has left her, Kitty goes out to make something of herself. SHOPWORN is pretty predictable from start to finish but the attractive cast makes the film worth sitting through and especially since it runs a very fast 68-minutes. There's no question that the screenplay could have used a little work because everything that happens seems rather predictable and unoriginal even for 1932 standards. The poor girl being looked down upon by rich people is something we've seen many times and there's really nothing new done with it here. Even what happens to the character after she becomes famous is pretty standard stuff. What keeps the film moving along so well are the performances and especially the one from Stanwyck. She delivers a really well rounded performance as she perfectly nails both the tough and tender side of the character. Toomey is also quite good as the love interest and there's no question that Blandick does a very good job as the snake-hissing villain. Zasu Pitts is wasted in a supporting role but she's got one funny scene towards the start of the picture. The ending is one you'll see coming from a mile away and at times it gets so silly that I couldn't help but laugh but there's still enough going on here to make it worth viewing.

This is an early Barbara Stanwyck film, Shopworn, from 1932.

After her father dies in a construction accident, Kitty Lane (Stanwyck) keeps her promise to her dad and goes to live with his sister (Zasu Pitts). There, she works as a waitress.

It's a college town, and the guys are ga-ga over her, though she turns them all down. She falls for a bookish man, David (Regis Toomey), a medical student who doesn't seem to pay attention to her.

David comes from a good family - his father is a Judge, and his mother is possessive. She does not approve of Kitty. She fakes an illness and David finds that he must take her to a specialist in Vienna. Before he leaves, he proposes to Kitty, intending that she join them.

Everyone pretends to go along, but while packing, the police show up and arrest her for violating the public morals act, after she refuses the $5000 offered her. She is sentenced to prison for 90 days. David is told she took the money.

Upon her release, Kitty joins the Follies and makes a great success. Six years later, David visits her dressing room. She leads him on just to reject him, but later, the two talk it out and get back together. But his mother is still a pain, referring to her as "that shopworn woman."

One major scene was cut from this film - while in prison, Kitty miscarries a pregnancy, so it seems that she and David had quite the romance going.

I wouldn't say that Regis Toomey, who became a prolific character actor, and Barbara Stanwyck are well-matched. In the beginning, his role is that of an easily-influenced young man where his parents are concerned, and back in those days, this wasn't unusual. Later on he seems better able to stand up for himself. But as a couple, even when she was just starting out, Stanwyck had star quality, so it doesn't really work.

Stanwyck was a petite ball of fire, versatile, strong and charismatic, with a beautiful figure to boot. What a pleasure to see her in these early films. Watch it for her.

I'm surprised no one has reviewed this at all. Well, Barbara Stanwyck made a whole lot of movies, and this one is OK. It's got Zasu Pitts and the usual suspects. Barabara Stanwyck plays a flirty waitress in a college town who takes up with a young lad from an upper class family. Interesting to see how mores have changed. Lots of golly gee lines in this one, lots of upper class snobbery. Truly a different world. In this movie at least Barbara S. doesn't play a total trollop, like Mexicali Rose. In this one she becomes a successful actress, although on the riske side. It's not clear from the film if she went from burlesque to legit, but something along those lines. Interesting flick.