Back Street (1932)
1h 33m | PG-13
A woman's love for and devotion to a married man results in her being relegated to the "back streets" of his life.
Director: John M. Stahl
Studio: Universal Pictures
Genre: Drama, Romance
Video: 720p
Cast
Irene Dunne
as Ray Schmidt
John Boles
as Walter D. Saxel
George Meeker
as Kurt Shendler
Zasu Pitts
as Mrs. Dole
June Clyde
as Freda Schmidt
William Bakewell
as Richard Saxel
Reviews
Irene Dunne ("Rae") gives a strong performance here as a woman who sacrifices her first love so she can help her step-sister. Many years later, she encounters the successful, married "Walter Saxel" (John Boles) again and they embark on an affair. The plot is simple, and probably rather racy for the early 1930s, but the two stars with some help from Zasu Pitts create a character-driven romantic drama with a sense of kindness and affection belied in the rather poor title. Maybe a touch too long, the story certainly takes a bit too long to get up a head of steam, but it's well worth a watch if you get a chance.