Forbidden begins with a spinsterish looking woman withdrawing all her savings to go onto a trip to Havana. Stanwyck (Lulu) and Bob (Menjou) give us a terrific love scene without removing a stitch of clothing. They begin by playing at what's for supper with hideous masks on (which he brought along as a joke). She receives some flowers via a dumbwaiter. When they remove their masks, he removes the lies in their relationship: he's married to someone he cannot divorce.
Sometime later she has a child. He's the father. When he finds out, he makes arrangements for her to become their child's governess which does not last long. She cannot work with his wife. Lulu goes to work for "Al" the newspaper guy who holds the torch for her. Years pass. Roberta (the child) is grown up to be a gorgeous woman of 18. Bob fulfills his political ambitions: he becomes governor -- a position he holds until his death.
Enter Ralph Bellamy who plays a remarkably uncharacteristic slime. He should have played more of them. Lulu marries him hoping, I suppose, he will forget his pursuit of Bob. He does not.
That essentially is most of the plot. This is not a Capra masterpiece, but it is interesting. It is as though he had to learn how to use sentiment and melodrama more effectively. The problem with this movie is not the cast, nor the direction, nor even the plot – a statement many would disagree with. The problem is that there is too much of one kind of writing. There is not enough of a well developed villain (as in Mr. Smith Goes to Washington), nor is there a moral enough hero (as in Mr. Smith). There is only the melancholia of Menjou and the quiet passive heroics of Stanwyck. We cannot believe some of plot contrivances this film creates, and that doesn't help.
All in all, something for Capra fans
Sometime later she has a child. He's the father. When he finds out, he makes arrangements for her to become their child's governess which does not last long. She cannot work with his wife. Lulu goes to work for "Al" the newspaper guy who holds the torch for her. Years pass. Roberta (the child) is grown up to be a gorgeous woman of 18. Bob fulfills his political ambitions: he becomes governor -- a position he holds until his death.
Enter Ralph Bellamy who plays a remarkably uncharacteristic slime. He should have played more of them. Lulu marries him hoping, I suppose, he will forget his pursuit of Bob. He does not.
That essentially is most of the plot. This is not a Capra masterpiece, but it is interesting. It is as though he had to learn how to use sentiment and melodrama more effectively. The problem with this movie is not the cast, nor the direction, nor even the plot – a statement many would disagree with. The problem is that there is too much of one kind of writing. There is not enough of a well developed villain (as in Mr. Smith Goes to Washington), nor is there a moral enough hero (as in Mr. Smith). There is only the melancholia of Menjou and the quiet passive heroics of Stanwyck. We cannot believe some of plot contrivances this film creates, and that doesn't help.
All in all, something for Capra fans