Back Street **** (1941, Charles Boyer, Margaret Sullavan, Richard Carlson) – Classic Movie Review 7,000

The 1941 romantic drama film Back Street is arguably the best and most romantic of the three Universal Pictures film versions of Fannie Hurst’s novel about a woman’s love for a married man. A guaranteed tearjerker.

Director Robert Stevenson’s 1941 romantic drama film Back Street is arguably the best and most romantic of the three Universal Pictures film versions of Fannie Hurst’s novel about a woman’s love for a married man that is a guaranteed tearjerker.

The spirited acting from the handsome Charles Boyer as Walter Saxel and the noble Margaret Sullavan as Ray Smith ignites the old-fashioned, sentimental material. Back Street is notable mostly for the tremendous performances from the marvellous stars, a steady, persuasive screenplay, and Frank Skinner’s particularly fine score. (Skinner was Oscar nominated for Best Scoring of a Dramatic Picture.) The film is in other ways a notch down from the 1932 version of Back Street, though both films are very worthwhile.

It follows the 1932 version closely, scene-for-scene in some cases.

Also in the cast are Richard Carlson, Frank McHugh, Tim Holt, Frank Jenks, Esther Dale, Samuel S Hinds, Peggy Stewart, Nell O’Day, Kitty O’Neil, Nella Walker, Cecil Cunningham, Marjorie Gateson and Dale Winter.

Sullavan agreed to second billing to persuade Boyer to co-star.

Back Street is directed by Robert Stevenson, runs 89 minutes, is made and released by Universal Pictures, is written by Bruce Manning and Felix Jackson, is shot in black and white by William Daniels, is produced by Bruce Manning and Frank Shaw
(associate producer), and is scored by Frank Skinner.

Release date: 7 February 1941 (US).

It follows Back Street (1932) with Irene Dunne, John Boles, Doris Lloyd and June Clyde, and is followed by the Eastmancolor remake Back Street (1961) with Susan Hayward, John Gavin and Vera Miles.

There are two other versions: one in 1948 by director Esther Eng, who changed the story’s setting to the Chinese-American community in San Francisco, and another in 1965 by director Mahmoud Zulfikar, starring Salah Zulfikar and Shadia.

The cast are Charles Boyer as Walter Louis Saxel, Margaret Sullavan as Ray Smith, Richard Carlson as Curt Stanton, Frank McHugh as Ed Porter, Tim Holt as Richard Saxel, Frank Jenks as Harry Niles, Esther Dale as Mrs Smith, Samuel S Hinds as Felix Darren, Peggy Stewart as Freda Smith, Nell O’Day as Elizabeth Saxel, Kitty O’Neil as Mrs Dilling, Nella Walker as Corinne Saxel, Cecil Cunningham as Mrs Miller, Marjorie Gateson as Mrs Adams, Dale Winter as Miss Evans, and Marjorie Gateson.

© Derek Winnert 2018 Classic Movie Review 7,000

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