Up until the tougher Production Code was enacted in 1934, topics such as adultery and premarital sex were relatively common. However, with the Code, these topics and many more were mostly forbidden--or at least highly sanitized and with a moralistic slant. So, while bad girls can and do put out without suffering any negative effects in films like RED HEADED WOMAN (1932), after 1934 this could no longer be the case.
The theme of GIVE ME YOUR HEART is adultery and premarital sex. Kay Francis plays a woman who has no idea her lover (Patric Knowles) is married. She discovers he has a sickly wife only after becoming pregnant with his baby. But, because she's basically a decent person, she agrees to give up the child to the boyfriend and his wife! Unfortunately, though Francis later meets a wonderful man (George Brent), she is so plagued by guilt and curiosity about the child that her own marriage suffers. How this all works out is something to see for yourself.
One thing I really liked about this film was that it showed that despite making a mistake, there is still good that can come out of it. Additionally, the film still deals with a rather adult moral dilemma--despite the language of the film being quite careful to get by the censors but tell the story--a tough balancing act indeed. And, most importantly, it doesn't come off as preachy or fake. Another nice touch was the nice acting. Francis is at her best and Henry Stephenson is given a better and richer role than usual for this supporting actor.
Overall, so well made that a tough to believe story idea seems to be believable. An interesting soap that is worth seeing.
The theme of GIVE ME YOUR HEART is adultery and premarital sex. Kay Francis plays a woman who has no idea her lover (Patric Knowles) is married. She discovers he has a sickly wife only after becoming pregnant with his baby. But, because she's basically a decent person, she agrees to give up the child to the boyfriend and his wife! Unfortunately, though Francis later meets a wonderful man (George Brent), she is so plagued by guilt and curiosity about the child that her own marriage suffers. How this all works out is something to see for yourself.
One thing I really liked about this film was that it showed that despite making a mistake, there is still good that can come out of it. Additionally, the film still deals with a rather adult moral dilemma--despite the language of the film being quite careful to get by the censors but tell the story--a tough balancing act indeed. And, most importantly, it doesn't come off as preachy or fake. Another nice touch was the nice acting. Francis is at her best and Henry Stephenson is given a better and richer role than usual for this supporting actor.
Overall, so well made that a tough to believe story idea seems to be believable. An interesting soap that is worth seeing.