Four friends from school, vowing to remain together as they finish school and head to the Big Apple, desperate to find jobs, end up with the partner they love and be able to do more than just make ends meet. Like Mary Ann Singleton I "Tales of the City", Janet Gaynor is the heart and soul of the story, her big heart filled with devotion to her friends, always in love with classmate Charles Farrell even though he's more interested in self centered Ginger Rogers.
James Dunn is the other part of this soapy foursome whose heart is broken by Rogers who runs off to California for another lover, but she comes back all grand and determined to get Farrell back whom Gaynor won by nursing him back to health. Farrell and Gaynor get an apartment together, and having issues moving furniture, carry a heavy table and chair to the new one. I could imagine this being done in New York now, but only on a Sunday morning, the most peaceful time in the city that supposedly never sleeps.
There was some question of the legality of the baby adoption ring run by Beryl Mercer in her shop, with the babies provided by doctor Gustav von Seyffertitz. All seems to be on the up and up as those wanting babies need an attorney, but I found this plot point rather eyebrow raising. This is probably the best performance I've seen Mercer give, with her earlier ones as grasping mothers overly sentimental. Here, it's sincere and warm and quite good.
Rogers, who starts off as decent, changes as many young people do when they get settled in society, and her villainy as a cold vamp is a far cry from her musical and wisecracking performances go. Farrell and Dunn are overshadowed by the female performers, with Gaynor amazingly good. Shirley Temple has a memorable bit as a little girl on the plane, having already done leads. Rather late pre-code drama may not have a ton of raciness, but certainly has some moments that wouldn't get past censors a few months later.
James Dunn is the other part of this soapy foursome whose heart is broken by Rogers who runs off to California for another lover, but she comes back all grand and determined to get Farrell back whom Gaynor won by nursing him back to health. Farrell and Gaynor get an apartment together, and having issues moving furniture, carry a heavy table and chair to the new one. I could imagine this being done in New York now, but only on a Sunday morning, the most peaceful time in the city that supposedly never sleeps.
There was some question of the legality of the baby adoption ring run by Beryl Mercer in her shop, with the babies provided by doctor Gustav von Seyffertitz. All seems to be on the up and up as those wanting babies need an attorney, but I found this plot point rather eyebrow raising. This is probably the best performance I've seen Mercer give, with her earlier ones as grasping mothers overly sentimental. Here, it's sincere and warm and quite good.
Rogers, who starts off as decent, changes as many young people do when they get settled in society, and her villainy as a cold vamp is a far cry from her musical and wisecracking performances go. Farrell and Dunn are overshadowed by the female performers, with Gaynor amazingly good. Shirley Temple has a memorable bit as a little girl on the plane, having already done leads. Rather late pre-code drama may not have a ton of raciness, but certainly has some moments that wouldn't get past censors a few months later.