Pick-Up *** (1933, Sylvia Sidney, George Raft, William Harrigan) – Classic Movie Review 13,962

The 1933 American pre-Code crime film Pick-Up is based on an infamous short story by Vina Delmar, and stars Sylvia Sidney and George Raft.

‘Pick-Up will make Bad Girl look like Sweet Sue from Keokuk!’

Director Marion Gering’s 1933 Paramount Pictures black and white crime film Pick-Up is written by S K Lauren and Agnes Leahy, based on an infamous short story by Vina Delmar, and stars Sylvia Sidney and George Raft, with William Harrigan.

Pick-Up is (not surprisingly) an old-fashioned 30s melodrama, with Sylvia Sidney as Mary Richards, a convict’s jailed wife who falls for taxi-driver Harry Glynn (George Raft) when she is released. But the husband, Jim Richards (William Harrigan), escapes from prison to threaten them when they set up home together.

Pick-Up is (not surprisingly) not bad, mainly thanks to some amusing dialogue and the star pair’s energetic, reliable turns, though itis Sidney’s show – and she shines with those sad, saucer eyes.

Sylvia Sidney and George Raft reconvened 13 years later for director Edwin L Marin’s 1946 film Mr Ace.

Cast: Sylvia Sidney as Mary Richards, George Raft as Harry Glynn, William Harrigan as Jim Richards, Lilian Bond [Lillian Bond] as Muriel Stevens, Clarence Wilson as Sam Foster, Brooks Benedict, Robert McWade, Louise Beavers as Magnolia, George Meeker as Artie Logan, Florence Dudley, Pamela Farley, Eddie Clayton, Dorothy Layton, Alice Adair, Purnell Pratt, Charles Middleton, Oscar Apfel, Al Hill.

Viña Delmar’s 1928 novel Bad Girl became a bestseller, and it was filmed as Bad Girl in 1931 by Frank Borzage, starring Sally Eilers, James Dunn, and Minna Gombell. Delmar wrote the screenplay for the 1937 film The Awful Truth.

Russian-born stage producer and director Marion Gering came to the US in 1924 as a member of a Soviet trade commission. He directed many plays on Broadway before in 1931 Paramount hired him as director of many of Sylvia Sidney’s films.

Paramount planned Pick-Up to star Carole Lombard and George Raft, who was replaced by Gary Cooper. Then Sylvia Sidney replaced Carole Lombard and Raft replaced Cooper, who was by then making a movie on loan to MGM.

© Derek Winnert 2026 – Classic Movie Review 13,962

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