Lily Powers, the daughter of a speakeasy owner, grows up among an unsavory crowd. An older client, Adolf Cragg, is instrumental for changing her outlook in life when he advises her to use men for her own benefit. Cragg, an admirer of German philosopher Frederick Nietzsche, knew Lily would have no problem in a big city where wealthy men had an appetite for fresh young women willing to amuse them.
Lily and her friend Chico arrive in Manhattan penniless, after a trip on a cattle car where she first uses her female charms on the train man that allows them to travel. Lily proves to be a fast learner. When she seeks employment, she is hired to start working in a bank in a low position. She has her eyes set on the high management, something that she achieves easily. She goes from rags to riches, using her sexual appeal on the key men she targeted. Her luck runs out after the fatal killing of her sugar daddy that causes a scandal.
Since Lily is also feeding into the frenzy created by the scandal, she is asked by the bank's board, headed by Courtland Trenholm, to accept money and a transfer to the Paris branch. In Paris, Lily leads a modest life until Courtland appears on the scene in connection with the bank. Little prepare these two for the passion that consumes them after he falls for Lily.
We watched the copy of "Baby Face" that was recently found and restored. This was the Hollywood before the Hays Code, and it shows its daring in a film that doesn't leave anything to the viewer's imagination. It is raw sex, pure and unadulterated. The film was directed by Alfred E. Green, who enjoyed a long career in the industry. Mr. Green uses an imaginary building to show Lily's own climb from a lowly clerk to different areas within the bank going from low floors to the top of the edifice.
Barbara Stanwyck showed why she was one of the best actresses of all times. She made a perfect Lily, exuding sex with little effort. A young George Brent was effective as Courtland Trenholm, the man that ultimately transforms Lily into a woman that falls in love and leaves her shady past behind her. Veterans Donald Cook, Margaret Lindsay, Henry Kolker and even an unknown named John Wayne were on hand to make this a daring movie that dealt honestly with a subject that was avoided after the industry changed for the worst and decided to be hypocritical about sex in the movies for quite a long time.
Lily and her friend Chico arrive in Manhattan penniless, after a trip on a cattle car where she first uses her female charms on the train man that allows them to travel. Lily proves to be a fast learner. When she seeks employment, she is hired to start working in a bank in a low position. She has her eyes set on the high management, something that she achieves easily. She goes from rags to riches, using her sexual appeal on the key men she targeted. Her luck runs out after the fatal killing of her sugar daddy that causes a scandal.
Since Lily is also feeding into the frenzy created by the scandal, she is asked by the bank's board, headed by Courtland Trenholm, to accept money and a transfer to the Paris branch. In Paris, Lily leads a modest life until Courtland appears on the scene in connection with the bank. Little prepare these two for the passion that consumes them after he falls for Lily.
We watched the copy of "Baby Face" that was recently found and restored. This was the Hollywood before the Hays Code, and it shows its daring in a film that doesn't leave anything to the viewer's imagination. It is raw sex, pure and unadulterated. The film was directed by Alfred E. Green, who enjoyed a long career in the industry. Mr. Green uses an imaginary building to show Lily's own climb from a lowly clerk to different areas within the bank going from low floors to the top of the edifice.
Barbara Stanwyck showed why she was one of the best actresses of all times. She made a perfect Lily, exuding sex with little effort. A young George Brent was effective as Courtland Trenholm, the man that ultimately transforms Lily into a woman that falls in love and leaves her shady past behind her. Veterans Donald Cook, Margaret Lindsay, Henry Kolker and even an unknown named John Wayne were on hand to make this a daring movie that dealt honestly with a subject that was avoided after the industry changed for the worst and decided to be hypocritical about sex in the movies for quite a long time.