Compare this film to other films that got other stars labelled as box-office poison- one thing they all have in common is that they meant well. Stars wanted to branch out from their usual characterizations- for example, Fred didn't want to dance with Ginger, or was it the other way around? This did not always go well.
This film on the outside might look like a regular Joan film, especially one of the 1930s- she scrapes her way to the top (or gets wealth dumped on her purely by coincidence, à la Sadie McKee), becomes rich, only to realize that material happiness itself cannot bring true happiness and ending up doing the right thing.
She is also usually torn between two men, but if you've seen even one Crawford film, you know how it's going to end. If it's a film with Clark Gable, she will probably end up with Clark Gable. If it's a film with Robert Montgomery, she will probably end up with him, unless the film also has Clark Gable. And so on. There will be gowns by Adrian. She will be a woman who may be a little trampy, but with a heart of gold underneath. But it's fun to see how she gets there, and whether you roll your eyes at the clichés ladled onto you or cheer for her success at the end.
In this one, she is not a woman with a heart of gold (One character mentions her not even having a heart). She is a cold, hard, cash-seeking missile, not desiring the security of the wealth or a man's arms to run into, but the material success of being wealthy. She doesn't care who or what she harms along the way, and as a result, she does not garner our sympathy. She doesn't end up falling in love with the man behind the wealth she so desired.
It is sort of a Cinderella tale- she doesn't start out as a shopgirl. Instead, she is a cabaret singer (and yes, that is her own voice singing- she isn't terrible, but she tries a bit too hard to hit the high notes, and to be fair, no skanky club singer is going to sound like Julie Andrews), who is hired by a rich count to pose as the daughter of his dearest (fictional) friend. Complications ensue when not only does she get sucked in over her head at her newfound wealth (see above cold, hard, cash-seeking missile comment), but she meets a handsome postman, played by Franchot Tone- AND a wealthy bachelor (Robert Young)...who is already engaged. Nice to see Billie Burke playing a more viperish character than she would usually play- funny thing is, she played Crawford's mother in another JC picture called They All Kissed The Bride.
Unlike your average M-G-M Crawford film, this one dives deeper into the examination of the supposed difference between the classes. In the opening scenes, two characters are arguing over whether you are born with class, or if it just happens to fall on you. Some people are lucky, and some are not. We can't help our station. Everyone treated Crawford's character like royalty when she was masquerading as the rich girl, but when she is the poor girl, people stare at her like she's a sore thumb sticking out. Nice kids.
Dorothy Arzner's direction is handsome, and the gowns by Adrian are not campy (yay!). This is one film that should have really been shot in colour, seeing as the main protagonist is a red, sparkly dress. Maybe they'll release a colourized version one day- I'd love to see it. Supposedly this red dress has been seen in colour, in another movie- but I don't know the name of the movie.
Unfortunately for Crawford, her hair is styled in an unflattering pageboy style that enlarges her head, but other than that, she's very pretty (the gowns and photography help, but she wasn't that bad looking to begin with- in my opinion) and toy see why people would fall for her. Even if her personality is a lump of coal inside the golden stocking. Personally was glad to see her get the humbling, moralizing ending that she got. That's the only thing that mars her performance- her hair. It is not like a field of silver daisies (if you've seen Bombshell, another movie with Franchot Tone, you'll understand my reference.)
She tried, though. I admire her for that.
Funny thing is, despite her showing that she could break typecasting, M-G-M put her in ANOTHER CinderCrawford film, Mannequin, which despite her being box-office poison, still managed to turn in a handsome profit. This film is much better. My high rating isn't just because I'm a Joan Crawford fan.
