Born to Be Bad (1933 released 1934 Lowell Sherman)

In mildly risqué pre-Code story good-time girl (i.e. prostitute) and single mother Loretta Young and delinquent son Jackie Kelk become mixed up with wealthy Cary Grant and his wife Marion Burns. Henry Travers is a kindly bookstore owner and Paul Harvey a shady (and very obviously Jewish) lawyer. Quite a lot happens in 60 minutes in Ralph Graves' story. Loretta and the kid are rather good and natural. Grant hasn't quite evolved to be the one we know and love.

I rather enjoyed it - films of this era can be good value. Nice touches, e.g. Grant as van driver who is actually president - and has an ending which isn't necessarily guessable.

I didn't even realise Fox was making pictures back then. As '20th Century Fox' didn't begin trading until 1935, the Fox ident as we know it must have been added after the film was first released. In fact the credits read Joseph M. Schenk presenting a Darryl F Zanuck production for 20th Century Pictures. I read on Wikipedia that the film had to be reshot and edited to tone it down for the Hays Office - including removal of excess footage of Young in her underwear - which probably explains the delay in release.

As evidenced by screen caps the DVD release is very grainy.

Loretta is looking glamorous in ultra-thin eyebrow, heavy under the eyes, backless gown early 30s look, shot by Barney McGill. We know her best for The Stranger (on my to watch again list already), The Bishop's Wife, Wife Doctor and Nurse (rare 1937 not on DVD, officially) and The Doctor Takes a Wife (with Ray Milland) - suggesting she may have been typecast as a wife in later roles!