Frank Borzage won the Academy Award for Direction for this film. That aspect of the movie is quite good, but much of the rest of it doesn't hold up that well. First thing's first, the title of this film (and actually the original novel on which it was based, I'd guess) is just a marketing ploy to make it sound salacious. It's actually quite innocent, even for 1931. Sally Eilers plays a gal who is sick of men flirting with her, so when she meets one who doesn't (James Dunn), she falls for him. The big problem with the movie is that Dunn is an awful jerk. The film tries to show that his tough guy exterior is just a shield for his sensitive inner self, but that doesn't excuse his behavior toward his girl (who soon becomes his wife). He's constantly whining, bitching and berating Eiler, not to mention treating her best friend (Minna Gombell) like crap every time she comes by. Given the title, I was kind of expecting Eiler to have to dump Dunn and make due as a hooker or something, but it turns out the film has a lot of affection for the prick. It's not like he beats her or anything, but my prediction for the rest of Eiler's life, as well as that of the baby she has near the end, is going to be really depressing, even after the Great Depression ends. She might be better off as a hooker.
Bad Girl
(1931)
Dunn's such a jerk, the film's hard to care much about
14 November 2010
Warning: Spoilers