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Finally, the uncut version of "Baby Face" surfaces and from what source? The Library of Congress. The restored four minutes, snippets here and there, make for a much better film. We now know that Baby Face was pimped by her old man from the time she was at least fourteen years of age. Another reason d'tat for her behavior and cold, calculating exterior.

Barbara Stanwyck is indeed amazing in the role of Lily Powers (notice the moniker), a part that called for just the right amount of sexuality coated with power, cunning, and revenge, yet tinged with virginal pretense when called for, a very difficult portrayal to make convincing. Barbara Stanwyck conveys the necessary nuances to show that though she sleeps her way to the top (literally), she still has good in her heart--note the way she treats those few who have been kind to her such as Chico (the marvelous actress Theresa Harris) and the old philosopher. And though she exploits her sexuality to make mush of men who are rich and powerful, those same men are attempting to exploit her for their carnal desires with no intention of permanent ties until they fall in love with her.

Lily Powers fails to understand, at first, that emotions are difficult to ride, that it's easy to lose control. One possible result is death. Hitching a wagon to a star of course materialism can take one to a destination where nothing else exists but the ephemeral, and it's a cold lonely location.

A word should be said about the philosophy of Friedrich Nietzsche whose will to power is stressed in "Baby Face" by the elderly philosopher who befriends Lilly when she is still turning tricks for her old man. "Baby Face" was released the same year Adolf Hitler came to power in Germany. Though it's highly unlikely that the semi-literate Hitler understood much about Nietzsche, he considered himself a Nietzschean to the nth degree and touted it along side his other rantings. "Baby Face" serves as an indictment of the popular interpretation of Nietzsche's will to power concept, especially in the final scenes.

Although "You've got the cutest little baby face." is apropos as a theme for "Baby Face," an even more telling and applicable melody is W. C. Handy's "St. Louis Blues" played throughout the film, especially at times when the camera has to drift away from what would otherwise be sexually explicit scenes. "St. Louis Blues" is also used wisely toward the end as Lily begins to see beyond materialism to eternal values. Chico is singing a raw, salacious version of "St. Louis Blues" when Lily, now disagreeing with the lyrics, orders her to stop.

The restored version of "Baby Face" makes the film more modern in its approach and attitude toward sex as power than many a new Hollywood release. By all means watch this gem from the distant past and enjoy.

The National Gallery of Art showed the long-thought lost original uncut version of this film on July 10, 2005. It restores vital scenes cut by censors upon its release. The character of the cobbler, a moral goody-goody individual in the original censored release of 1933 is here presented as a follower of the philosopher Nietsze and urges her to use men to claw her way to the top. Also, the corny ending of the original which I assume is in current VHS versions is eliminated and the ending is restored to its original form. A wonderful film of seduction and power. Hopefully, there will a reissue of this film on DVD for all to appreciate its great qualities. Look for it.

There have been written so many things about "Baby Face", being the probably MOST daring and explicitly sexual movie before the enforcement of the Hays Code - in fact, one of the main REASONS for its rigorous enforcement - that every fan of classic films, even if he hasn't actually seen it, knows pretty well what it's all about. A girl who's been 'working' in her father's dubious 'establishment', 'entertaining' men ever since she was 14, and after her father's death escaping to New York and REALLY climbing up the ladder; 'wrong by wrong', as the ads for the movie promised the scandal-hungry audience of the time...

Although this movie should be regarded exclusively in itself, there is ONE comparison that inevitably comes to mind - to the OTHER great pre-Code movie that had been released just two months before "Baby Face", and constituted the other half of the gravestone that Will Hays would soon put on this kind of 'unacceptably immoral' movies: Mae West's "I'm No Angel"... In fact, the philosophy of the two starring ladies is just about the same; only that Mae expressed it in her own, casual way of 'Find 'em, fool 'em, and forget 'em', while Barbara goes by the philosophical advice of none other than Nietzsche: 'Face life as you find it - defiantly and unafraid. Waste no energy yearning for the moon. Crush out all sentiment.' And so she does - she uses her female assets to make a VERY quick career at a big bank, making it to the 'executive suite' in literally no time; she uses the way that Mae West had suggested in words and humorous double-entendres, but VERY explicitly and unequivocally for the whole audience. And she gives a MAGNIFICENT performance (maybe the best one of her whole, great career) as the tough gal determined to do EVERYTHING in order to reach the 'top' - and yet, just when she thinks she's got everything she wanted (everything measurable in dollars, jewels and fur coats, that is), her sentiment, that she'd been trying so hard to crush, sets in, and her 'success story' becomes a drama...

And that's exactly the difference between "Baby Face" and "I'm No Angel": Mae West, as always, takes even her most spicy adventures with humor, always staying on top of things and getting what she wants; while Barbara Stanwyck is forced by the circumstances almost from the beginning of her life to become a 'bad girl' - and that was obviously a TOO much realistic view of things for the Hays Office: while "I'm No Angel" finally got its seal, "Baby Face" was withdrawn from release and edited until it was 'fit' for distribution. But it was still HIGHLY explosive stuff, and soon afterwards the final curtain came down on those daring, 'outrageous' pre-Code movies in the shape of Will Hays' 'Bible' called the Production Code, which would from now on be rigorously applied to EVERY movie before it would be granted a seal.

So enjoy "Baby Face" as one of the most audacious pre-Code films - and as one of the VERY best movies of classic Hollywood in general, featuring one of the GREATEST performances of one of the GREATEST actresses of all times!

"Baby Face" is a precode melodrama starring a very young Barbara Stanwyck, an almost unrecognizable George Brent, and Theresa Harris. It's about a girl who goes to the city to make good...or should I say make time. Stanwyck's father has been pimping her for one reason or another her whole life in dingy, depressed, filthy Erie, Pennsylvania.

After her father dies, one older father type who knows what she's been through and truly cares about her future advises her to go to the big city and take advantage of opportunities there - and not the easy ones - and to take the high road in life. (Note that I saw the censored version and not the uncut - this part of the film was redone for the censors.)

She and Chico (Harris) go to New York where Lily (nickname: Baby Face) decides the low road's a lot smoother and will get her where she wants to go a lot faster. In the movie's most famous scene, the camera moves us up the corporate ladder by taking us from floor to floor as Lily sleeps her way to the top. She finally corrals the big man himself and is able to quit her day job. Trouble follows, and she's soon involved in a huge scandal.

Stanwyck wears lots of makeup and for most of the film is cool as a cucumber as she seduces one man after another with no regrets, and she's great at playing the innocent victim. In one scene, she sits staring at a king's ransom in jewels while wearing a black dress that looks like it's decorated with diamonds at the top. Then she asks Chico for another case, and that's filled with more jewelry, plus securities. All in a day's work.

Theresa Harris was an interesting talent - she could be played down or glamorous, and was a talented singer and dancer as well. Here, she sings or hums the movie's theme, "St. Louis Woman" throughout. She worked in literally dozens of movies and is very good here as a friend of Stanwyck's, her best work being in the precode era. As a bizarre byproduct of the code, blacks were often given less to do in films after it was put in place.

Precode films could be more sexually blatant and therefore, though they're 70+ years old, seem more modern. Even though these films didn't have to have moral endings, Baby Face learns her lessons - how like life it is after all. There were several endings of this film, all with the same message. The one I saw had an added scene, but apparently, there were two other endings that didn't pass the censors. (There wasn't a code but there were always censors.) At any rate, it's a neat surprise. "Baby Face" is an important film in movie history - a must see.

This is a very good movie. Unusual for its day, due to the overt sex and plot. It also has a black playing a major role that is not a typical maid or servant, but more of a wise cracking best friend. Barbara Stanwyck, who I never considered very attractive, is quite stunning in a trampish sort of way. You will recognize a very young John Wayne as one of her boy friends, as well as many other character actors and actresses of the day. The woman playing the black girl, is new to me, she has a nice voice, as she sings a few jazz tunes of the era, I wonder what happened to her. This movie was before the Hays Code of Decency and it shows. I highly recommended this movie.