Frankie and Johnnie

For a low budget feature from Republic Studio, of all places, this one is filled with riches. The camerawork is innovative and atmospheric, the songs and musical score pleasing and lushly orchestrated, and the performances are first rate right down the line.

As Frankie, Helen Morgan is given one of the few opportunities in her movie career to really act; she is believable and poignant and sings her two numbers in her inimitably heartbreaking style. Chester Morris manages to show Johnnie's unsavory nature while allowing us to see why both Frankie and Nellie Bly are smitten with him. And as Nellie, Lilyan Tashman delivers a shrewd, calculating portrayal that is one of her best....and she never gave a bad performance in her life. Best of all, for me, is Florence Reed as Lou, the saloon proprietress/madame. A respected stage actor, Reed made very few film appearances, and here she is brilliant, watching over the machinations of the other characters with a cynical, world weary eye. Filmed at the Biograph Studio in the Bronx, this is a curio definitely worth watching.