A Brilliant Conflict

I think this is a new genre that they're all sort of working their way through it and haven't got all the kinks worked out yet but it's a genre that works for me.

The film's masterful storytelling did its job. The message was clear. No need to overdo.

One of the best movies of the year! Incredible from the beginning to the end.

"A Wicked Woman" hit the screens in 1934. It is a melodrama with a solid core of morality. Nono Trice (Mady Christians) is a young woman living in extreme poverty with her moonshiner husband. On the run from the sheriff, the husband is going to dump Nono and take the eldest boy with him. She can't allow this and ends up shooting the drunken husband and dumping his body in the bayou. The next day she gives birth to her fourth child, a boy with a deformed leg.The young mother leaves town with the children and begins to turn herself into a different woman through education. She is an extremely strict disciplinarian--so harsh that a modern viewer would disapprove. She changes her name to Naomi Stroud and eventually becomes a high end dressmaker.When the children grow up, Naomi cannot let go of them, trying to hold them in childhood for their own protection. They, naturally, rebel-- discovering alcohol, dancing and dating. Naomi herself acquires a boyfriend in the person of a local newspaper editor (Charles Bickford). The youngest girl (Jean Peters) is dating a young, sleek and villainous Robert Taylor. Taylor is a louse who ends up injuring Curt (William Henry), the oldest boy. Naomi bargains with God (for the second time) that if Curt lives she will go back and turn herself in for murder.Naomi's defense is that she was protecting her children but she produces no children in court and is about to be convicted. At the last moment her whole family arrives, with her boyfriend, and she goes free and marries the boyfriend. The cast also includes Betty Furness as the older daughter and Sterling Holloway as her boyfriend.So why is this more than a soap opera? Because Naomi is self-sacrificing (perhaps a bit much so) but she is determined to better herself and bring her children up to be responsible citizens. In our current era of anything goes, this message probably seems laughable to many viewers. Education, honesty, propriety and courage may seem out of date, but they are not.Note: At this point MGM did not know what to do with Robert Taylor. No one anticipated that he would eventually earn the studio well over $150,000,000.

While watching this film I kept trying to place Actress MADY CHRISTIANS. Then in a flash I remembered, ALL MY SONS (1948) with BURT LANCASTER, EDWARD G. ROBINSON, HOWARD DUFF, HARRY MORGAN, etc. Ms. CHRISTIANS spent most of her career making films in Europe or appearing on the Stage, so is not well remembered here (U.S.A.), but once she spoke I recognized her.A WICKED WOMEN (1934) is the struggle of a Woman raising her four (4) Children after killing her 'Criminal' Husband in self defense. Disposing of the body, she moves her family from the prying eyes of her former community. Raising them and herself too Middle-Class respectability and finding love again. Of course being a 'code' film she has to be called out too justify her crime. How they found his remains and any evidence that would hold up after all those years strains credibility. After all we are not talking about DNA and 21st Century technology. In those days though you had to tidy everything up before the happy ending, which this films does.This is a melodrama typical of the period. Most of the acting is credibly done and the 'middle-aged' romance between Naomi Trice/Stroud (CHRISTIANS) and Pat Naylor (CHARLE BICKFORD) is believable. The supporting Actors do their parts well also. A young ROBERT TAYLOR in only his fourth role is presented in a early romantic lead. Something he would do for practically his entire career. Like most 'production films' made by the 'factory system' it is well made and worth watching. M.G.M. had a knack for making these 'B' level melodrama's.

It would seem that the "woman sacrifices everything for her children" storyline was rather popular back in the 1930's. This is yet another one out of that pipeline and it's a competent effort with fluid direction from a veteran of silents, Charles Brabin (he puts together a couple of striking montages and seems to handle actors well). Interestingly, it was his last film. I had never EVER heard of Mady Christians going in but she certainly comes across as an especially passionate and forceful actress. She over-does it a bit at times but no one will ever accuse her of lacking conviction. Film is also noteworthy in featuring a relatively young Charles Bickford (he was in his early 40's) in a romantic role. He seems a tad uncomfortable when required to swoon, so he says his lines as quickly as possible in an effort to get it over with. Guess he was just born crusty.The real tragedy here is the pairing of beautiful young Betty Furness with that cartoon-voiced scarecrow Sterling Holloway. If Christians' plight doesn't put a lump in your throat, Holloway's charmless, bewilderingly successful pursuit of Furness definitely will.

Another good film performance by that GREAT actor, Charles Bickford, and also by Mady Christians. In fact, it is the performance of Miss Christians that this film hinges on, as without her, it would be a very dull film. It is too bad that Miss Christians never had a chance to become a big star in America as she had been in Europe, as she is a very good actress!! This film has one of the first performances of Robert Taylor and he does a very good job, as does all the supporting players in this film. I enjoyed this film and think you will too, if you get to see it on television.