The premise of Illicit is better than the finished product. Barbara and James are husband in wife in everything but legality. They go on vacations together, they breakfast together, but in the middle of the night, Barbara always goes back to her own apartment. She simply refuses to marry him, convinced that making it legal will kill the romance in their relationship. Of course, they give it a try, and audiences can see which of the pair is right.
While it's very cute to see Barbara Stanwyck acting so casual and natural, Illicit really isn't worth watching unless she's your favorite actress. Barbara made so many other pre-Code films you can choose from, like Night Nurse or Ladies They Talk About. This one has its gasp-worthy moments, but so do the others. For example, James Rennie is begging Barbara to marry him and resorts to the tactic of saying many women would jump at the chance. "At how much per hour?" she counters, a line that would never make it past the censors four years later.
While it's very cute to see Barbara Stanwyck acting so casual and natural, Illicit really isn't worth watching unless she's your favorite actress. Barbara made so many other pre-Code films you can choose from, like Night Nurse or Ladies They Talk About. This one has its gasp-worthy moments, but so do the others. For example, James Rennie is begging Barbara to marry him and resorts to the tactic of saying many women would jump at the chance. "At how much per hour?" she counters, a line that would never make it past the censors four years later.