On a cruise to Cuba, Lulu Smith falls in love with Bob Grover. Back home, she breaks off the romance when he tells her he is married. Lulu has a baby but doesn't tell Bob, who turns out to be a rising politician. She passes herself off as the baby's nanny. When Bob learns what is going on, he adopts the little girl, not telling his wife or anyone else where she came from. Lulu gets a job at a newspaper. Things get complicated when the editor gets the dirt on Bob, but also wants to marry Lulu.
Acting
Stanwyck's luminous, suffering in 85 minutes of pure craft.
Direction
Capra before the corn — cynical, swift, unsentimental.
Writing
Pre-Code plot gymnastics that wouldn't exist after 1934.
Director
Frank Capra
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
This was one of five Stanwyck-Capra collaborations made before the Hays Code enforcement; their later films together grew progressively softer.
Columbia promoted this as Stanwyck's 'greatest dramatic role' partly to justify her salary — she was their biggest star and they wanted prestige credibility.
US
