Whirlpool

The premise of this well-made melodrama is far-fetched: A newly-married man (Jack Holt) is sentenced to 20 years for manslaughter. Once in jail, he fakes his suicide in order to allow his pregnant wife (Lila Lee) to lead a life not bound to a prisoner. Some years after his release, he meets his daughter (Jean Arthur), who recognises him from a photograph her mother has kept, and complications ensue - mainly because his wife has meanwhile married another man, which exposes her to the charge of bigamy. Despite the complicated set-up, the story works. In fact, it works very well, thanks to the two brilliant leads Holt and Arthur. Others might have overacted melodramatic roles such as theirs, but not these two. Holt is great in an understated way, and Arthur plays her part really touchingly without overdoing it. By 1934, she had been in the film business for more than a decade with at best middling success, but after this film, Hollywood would never again overlook her. Don't so so either - take a look at 'Whirlpool'; it's worth it!