Back Street (1932)

Interesting facts

• Based on: Back Street

Back Street is a 1932 American pre-Code drama film directed by John M. Stahl and starring Irene Dunne and John Boles. Based on the best-selling novel of the same title by Fannie Hurst, it tells the story of a woman who spends her life as the secret mistress of a wealthy married man. The devotion and love of the woman to the married man determines that she will be the “back streets” of him in the whole life; a story of a love that was not destined. This was the first of three film versions of Hurst's novel; remakes were released in 1941 and 1961.

Production

Back Street tells the story of Ray Schmidt in a direct fashion, reflecting the very simple perspective of a woman of her kind in the 1930s. The screenplay writers, Gladys Lehman and Fannie Hurst, wrote the story in straightforward chronological order. Director John M. Stahl had a clear, easily comprehensible directing style, making sure that scenes lasted a long time and including mainly far-shots and relatively few close-up scenes.

The scenes are connected with straight fluency, having strong causal connections between each other. The cinematographer, Karl Freund, incorporated pictorial techniques, such as employment of a moving camera on set or changes in lighting, to make the message of the scene more apparent. Freund pioneered the “Unchained Camera”, which was revolutionary in its time. A new variety and range of shots were offered with this style of shooting.

The performances of the actors were restrained. The portrayals of Ray by Irene Dunne and Walter by John Boles are simple and untheatrical, offering a real-life feel. Unlike many films of this era, Back Street does not seem like a filmed stage play, but a slice-of-life that was relatable and revealing of the truth of many women's lives during the bleak period of the Great Depression.

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