The Primrose Path

A mediocre meller with too much sentimental emphasis on the hero's maudlin mother, angelic little brother, and guilt over laming the little brother in an accident because he touched that filthy alcohol! Clara looks spectacular--can't recall her hair ever being quite so elevated or spit-gurls so fussed-over elsewhere. But the plot hobbles her high spirits by making her be a showgirl who nonetheless is also a terribly virtuous Good Girl, with little to do but fret over her man's troubles. She is too often sidelined here, and the suspense elements (which eventually land the hero in a murder trial) are too simplistically contrived to be effective. It's a slick example of typical major-studio product from the era, and of course anything with Clara is worth a once-over. Still, the subpar material makes it one of her least satisfying surviving films.