Paid

"Paid" is the story of a young woman, Mary (Joan Crawford), who is wrongfully convicted of theft in the workplace. She promises to get even with her employer after she serves her time in prison. The film might have been better if they had included more scenes of Mary in prison, demonstrating the rough and dehumanizing conditions she had to endure (as a way of explaining her motivation).

While in prison, Mary becomes friends with Aggie (Marie Prevost), a young woman who lives in criminal circles. She has plans for them both after their release.

After prison, Mary hooks up with Aggie again when she has financial problems. Aggie introduces Mary to Joe (Robert Armstrong)--a thief/grafter with a kind heart. With Mary's intelligence (she even studied law while in prison), this small group works a con that lets them live the good life. Still, Mary wants to be repaid for the three years she spent in prison. She gets to her former boss, Mr. Gilder, through his son.

"Paid" is an early talkie in the pre-code era and is interesting for that alone. It also includes a couple of phrases that, though racist in nature, were deemed acceptable at the time. Obviously, Joan Crawford made the transition from silent films to talkies without a problem. Though I am not a big fan, I find that I enjoy her earlier performances. She definitely had acting skills.

It is interesting to note those times that the director allows the camera to move. Also, the action that takes place on a rooftop--including a fall--was very well done.

I recommend this film, though it is a little wordy in the last third.

Paid (1930)

** 1/2 (out of 4)

Joan Crawford plays a young woman named Mary Turner who gets three years in prison when her boss accuses her of stealing from the workplace. She's innocent and swears her vengeance and once she's released she gets it by marrying the man's son but things take a turn for the worse when an old friend (Robert Armstrong) decides to break into his house. PAID is a mildly entertaining film thanks in large part to the performances but there's no question that it runs out of gas around the forty-five minute mark and the final half hour just turns downright silly to the point where you'll be laughing at some of the situations. The screenplay is certainly the bad thing here and especially in the finale as all sorts of crazy things begin to happen starting with this robbery of the Mona Lisa. This doesn't turn out to be the real Mona Lisa, which in itself is pretty funny but also goes to show how dumb these criminals are. The entire film is based around the vengeance of Crawford and it's just not written very well. It just seems like there were so many better ways for her to get revenge and you know once she marries the guy that she's eventually going to start to have feelings for him, which is just another boring subplot. The reason to watch this would be for the performances and especially that of Crawford. She's certainly terrific in the part and especially during the opening courtroom sequence. Just look at the pain and anguish in her eyes as she's begging for her freedom. Crawford perfectly nails this but she also handles the other emotions quite well. Armstrong is also enjoyable as a lovable bad guy and Hale Hamilton is also good as the D.A.. The film probably would have been even better had they cut out about ten-minutes because it eventually just keeps running on and on even though you know how everything is going to work out.

This was a find. Good acting, a good plot and dialog way ahead of its time. I know of no other 1930 movie with its sophistication of dialog. Great directing by Sam Wood making sure that all of the intricacies of plot were brought out.

Joan Crawford was a wrongfully convicted convict out to exact revenge upon the store owner/magnate who sent her up the river who teams with Robert Armstrong to become rich shadily but by means "Within the Law".

The final confrontation in the DA's office requires that you pay attention. This movie is ripe for a remake. I see George Clooney as Robert Armstrong's character and Leonardo De Caprio as the son. Robert Armstrong was very strong in this role.

It's TCM keeper.

This is one of Joan Crawford's best pre-code films. It is very hard to find, but worth the effort! Through her character's evolution, Joan is able to show off a wide variety of emotions, proving she did have good acting skill early in her career.

Typical of the early Talkies, most of the acting style is a bit theatrical, so viewers not used to watching early classics may feel it has a dated quality. But if that doesn't bother you, you will find that the story is riveting, the characters are colorful, and the performance by Crawford is fabulous.

Crawford's character, Mary Turner, is by far the most fascinating, and commands attention. We see her begin as a confused, frumpy simple girl unjustly imprisoned for a crime she didn't commit. Then we watch her grow into a hard-boiled, intelligent, sophisticated criminal, hellbent on revenge. She grew to become what she had been wrongly accused of. You can't help but pity her lost innocence and respect her determination, despite its criminal intent.

A must-see for anyone who loves pre-code film, gangster films, or Joan Crawford.

"Paid" is a well done early talkie starring Joan Crawford, Douglass Montgomery, Marie Provost, and Robert Armstrong. It was remade as a programmer in 1939, "Within the Law." Crawford is Mary Turner, sent to the Big Doll House by her store owner boss for a crime she didn't commit. She threatens to get even with him. During her time in stir, she studies the law and realizes that you can use the law to make money. Once out, she joins a gang that prison buddy Aggie (Marie Provost) belongs to, and the group starts legally separating people from their money. Mary, still set on revenge, seduces the son of her boss (Montgomery).

This is a good movie, but the beginning is better than the end, which descends into the world of melodrama. It is superior to the remake.

Crawford, with her hypnotic eyes, does a great job - she replaced Norma Shearer, who was on maternity leave -- and she has excellent support from the tragic Provost, Montgomery, and Armstrong. Apparently a fight in the women's shower was cut, despite the precode status.

Gotta love the young, vibrant Crawford.