Il faut payer

Original title: Paid

1930
Passed
1h 26m

IMDb RATING

YOUR RATING

Joan Crawford and Marie Prevost in Il faut payer (1930)

Turner, unjustly imprisoned, rejoins former inmates to con elderly men into marriage proposals. Initially seeking vengeance, she ultimately finds redemption and a new path.Turner, unjustly imprisoned, rejoins former inmates to con elderly men into marriage proposals. Initially seeking vengeance, she ultimately finds redemption and a new path.Turner, unjustly imprisoned, rejoins former inmates to con elderly men into marriage proposals. Initially seeking vengeance, she ultimately finds redemption and a new path.

See production info at IMDbPro

IMDb RATING

6.3/10

924

YOUR RATING

See production info at IMDbPro

Awards
- 2 wins total

Photos13

+ 8

Top cast25

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Joan Crawford

Mary Turner

Robert Armstrong

Joe Garson

Marie Prevost

Agnes Lynch

Douglass Montgomery

Bob Gilder
(as Kent Douglass)

John Miljan

Inspector Burke

Purnell Pratt

Edward Gilder
(as Purnell B. Pratt)

Hale Hamilton

District Attorney Demarest

Robert Emmett O'Connor

Police Sergeant Cassidy
(as Robert Emmet O'Connor)

Tyrell Davis

Eddie Griggs
(as Tyrrell Davis)

William Bakewell

Carney

George Cooper

Gwen Lee

Bertha

Isabel Withers

Helen Morris
(scenes deleted)

Louise Beavers

Black Convict
(uncredited)

Edward Brophy

Burglar
(uncredited)

Payne B. Johnson

Baby
(uncredited)

Fred Kelsey

Night Policeman
(uncredited)

Wilbur Mack

Mr. Irwin
(uncredited)

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Storyline

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Did you know

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Trivia
This film was considered to be Joan Crawford's breakthrough role after years of playing empty-headed flappers in a series of profitable films. It was a coup for her as the original star, Norma Shearer, for whom the female lead had been commissioned had to decline the film due to pregnancy. Shearer was married to the studio brass, Irving Thalberg. "How can I compete with her," Crawford complained, "when she sleeps with the boss?"

The story was a perfect dramatic vehicle, allowing the leading lady to make the transition from wide-eyed innocent to hardened ex-convict to mature woman in love. With her other hits in 1930, Crawford now ranked as the nation's top box-office star. Studio head Louis B. Mayer was so happy he gave her a $10,000 bonus.

Goofs
As Mary is led out of the courtroom, a moving shadow of the boom microphone is visible on the wall to the left of the door.

Quotes
Mary Turner: Gee, you're white, Joe.
Joe Garson: Save the flowers for my funeral.

Connections
Edited into La belle et la loi (1939)

Soundtracks
Happy Days Are Here Again
(uncredited)
Music by Milton Ager
Lyrics by Jack Yellen
Sung by Marie Prevost

User reviews34

Featured review

5/10

A moll that guzzles is a moll that gabs

Joan Crawford plays a woman wrongfully convicted of theft and sentenced to prison. She vows revenge on her former boss who accused her and the prosecutor who was so harsh. Total misfire that could have been a great film. The first few scenes, where Crawford is sentenced and enters prison, are powerful. But instead of spending any time with the prison, the movie skips ahead to after she's released. Worse yet, she seems exactly the same as when she went in. Devoting more time to Joan in prison and showing her become hardened would have worked better. As it is, she gets out of prison, hangs out with some disreputable characters for a short while and suddenly she's Ma Barker. It made no sense and the only thing I can figure is that the studio was afraid of having her character be too hardened. After all, they tacked on a terrible love story to "redeem" her character. Absolutely terrible ending. Too bad, this could have been a classic.