STRANDED (1935)

Celebrated for Catholic-tinged/romantic fatalism (especially late-silents @ Fox), in the mid-‘30s director Frank Borzage made three unjustly forgotten films centered on labor unions.  First was this politically centrist tale @ Warners, followed by two posher M-G-M productions, left-leaning BIG CITY/’37 and the reactionary MANNEQUIN/’37.*  Rough and bumpy, barely an A-pic compared to the later two, STRANDED holds the most interest, starting with docu-footage on the Golden Gate Bridge going up.  A feat of construction taking place well behind an ‘opposites-attract’ romance for George Brent, unexpectedly forceful & pigheaded as the tough-driving boss who says things like ‘you’d be okay with a spanking or two,’ to a flirt.  See, he’s only got eyes for Traveler’s Aid associate Kay Francis, even though she refuses to give up serving society’s unwashed (and occasionally undeserving) to marry.  And while her modern outlook is unusual, even more interesting is that she doesn’t capitulate for a happy ending; nor want Brent to soften his hard edge.  She likes the grit in the relationship.  It seems to turn her on.  Yikes!  Then there’s the union side of the drama, with nasty Barton MacLane out to wreck the construction company if they don’t start paying into his protection racket.  Brent’s in-between position comes loaded with political positioning certain to piss off his union workers, the captain-of-industry investors and Francis’s soft-hearted do-gooder.  Soft-hearted, but not soft-headed, which makes this film, in spite of feeling like they went into production before figuring out what they wanted to say, unexpectedly appealing.  One of those films that’s strengthened by its weaknesses.  Just don’t be put off by the slightly sappy opening reels which hold off on the good stuff.

DOUBLE-BILL/LINK:  *(Really a Triple-Bill)  As mentioned, over @ M-G-M in 1937 where Borzage had Spencer Tracy & Louise Rainer for BIG CITY and then Spence with Joan Crawford in MANNEQUIN/’37.  The three films all over the map politically.  https://maksquibs.blogspot.com/2018/04/big-city-1937.html    https://maksquibs.blogspot.com/2010/10/mannequin-1937.html