Susan Lenox (Her Fall and Rise)

The bastard orphan Helga Ohlin (Greta Garbo) has been abused by her uncle since she was a child. When she becomes a woman, he arranges her marriage with the alcoholic Jeb Mondstrum (Alan Hale). In a stormy night, Jed tries to rape Helga but she flees from home and hides in a garage to protect from the rain. The engineer Rodney Spencer (Clark Gable) meets Helga and brings her home. They have a love affair but when Rodney travels to Detroit in a six-day trip, her uncle and Jeb find her. Helga escapes again and hides in a train, where she meets an itinerant circus troupe and is invited to join the group. Without any money and with the police seeking her, Helga accepts the invitation adopting the alias Susan Lenox. She is forced by the circus manager Wayne Burlingham (John Miljan) to have a love affair with him. When Rodney finally finds her, he discovers that Wayne is her lover. He calls her gutter girl and leaves Helga. She travels to New York and becomes the mistress of the politician Mike Kelly (Hale Hamilton). Meanwhile Rodney is invited to a dinner party in Mike's house and Susan humiliates him. Rodney leaves the apartment and Susan regrets and tries to fond him. However he has left New York and Susan seeks him out? Will they meet each other again?

"Susan Lenox" is a Pre-Code film with a heartbreaking story of a woman that is forced to separate from her true love and becomes an easy woman to survive. Greta Garbo has another wonderful performance and shows a great chemistry with Clark Gable. The conclusion with an open end is a great moment of this film. My vote is seven.

Title (Brazil): "Susan Lenox"