The story begins when gambler Mike Lee commits suicide rather than to be come part of a gambling syndicate, headed by Jim Fallin, who wants him to run a crooked game. Charlie Lang, takes up a collection for his daughter, Jennifer Lady Lee, and when he delivers it, he proposes to her. She turns him down and they remain friends.
Lady asks Fallin, if she can play for the syndicate, but insists that she will only play in honest games. Her first job is playing with a Park Avenue businessmen. Later Peter, who had known her father, befriends her. One night, while working, she meets Garry Madison, and finds herself attracted to him. But, soon becomes angry when a club is raided after Garry allowed men he did not know into the club.
After she is bailed out, Garry, still wanting to marry her convinces Lady that he had nothing to do with the raid, and she agrees to meet his father. She is happy when learns that her old friend Peter, is Garry's father. He offers her money if she will agree not to marry his son. Heartbroken, Lady leaves without the money and the two soon marry..
When Sheila Aiken, a friend of Garry, returns from Europe, she plans to prove that Lady is not a good wife for Garry. Lady challenges Sheila to a game and ends by winning her jewelry. Both Sheila and Garry are shocked when Lady keeps the jewelry.
Later Charlie is arrested, and Lady asks Garry for money to post his bail, she pawns Sheila's jewelry. Charlie tells Lady that he has information on the syndicate and plans to blackmail Fallin. Just as Lady is telling Charlie that she cannot see him anymore, Garry walks in and throws him out of the house. After he learns that she pawned Sheila's jewels, Garry follows Charlie to retrieve the pawn ticket.
The next morning, Lady learns that Charlie is dead and that Garry has been accused of the murder. Will she be able to convince the police that the syndicate murdered Charlie.
Entertaining, good acting as always, Barbara Stanwyck is believability wonderful in any role she played. She looked natural playing cards. Her leading men are two of the best: Joel McCrea and Pat O'Brien, both give wonderful performances. You wont want to miss Sir C. Aubrey Smith performance as a kindly gentleman who befriends Stanwyck.
Her films included; Ex-Lady (1933), The Personality Kid (1934), The Glass Key (1935), Three Loves Has Nancy (1938), and The Black Cat (1941). She twice played secretary Della Street to Warren William's Perry Mason, in The Case of the Curious Bride (1935) and The Case of the Velvet Claws (1936). She worked in almost sixty films in twelve years from 1930 to 1942.
Sounds like a very interesting movie. I want to see it ASAP. Thanks for the great post Dawn.
ReplyDelete