Walk on the Wild Side

 

Moviedrome Introduction

Film Details 

Release Date: 1962

Director: Edward Dmytryk

Stars:

Barbara Stanwyck (Jo Courtney)

Jane Fonda (Kitty Twist)

Personal History

Unknown to me.

Plot Summary

The story follows Dove Linkhorn, a restless young Texan who drifts into New Orleans in search of his lost love, Hallie. Along the way, he befriends a tough, world-weary drifter, Kitty Twist, who becomes both companion and emotional counterpoint to his idealism.

When Dove finally finds Hallie, he discovers she is working in a high-class brothel run by the formidable Jo Courtney. Hallie is now living under Jo’s protection—and control—in a relationship that is both possessive and emotionally complex.

Dove tries to persuade Hallie to leave the brothel and return to a “normal” life with him. However, Hallie has been changed by her experiences and is no longer the woman he remembers. She is torn between Dove’s romantic vision of escape and the security—and entrapment—offered by Jo.

Current Review

This one was lost on me, more or less from the off. I suppose I should have avoided watching it on Youtube and being bombarded with adverts from a different age.  The film is melodramatic, with lots of over earnest acting and little action. It opens with a drifter, failing to get a successful hitchhike and finding a starving woman living in a pipe. Who looks far less dishevelled than you would expect.

They move on together to track down his former love (I think) - a woman who works in a brothel where the don't appear to be providing the expected services. This is run by Barbara Stanwyck - in one of the first Hollywood portrayals of a lesbian character - who spends most of the film looking very angry.

Scowly

It might be her husband who is making her angry. A legless man who skoots around on a wheeled tea-tray. Doesn't stop him getting involved in fights though, although his punching technique would fall fowl of the Queensberry Rules. Incredibly, there doesn't appear to be a single image of this character on the Internet.

I can't think of many films that have bored me as much, but I have to say my interest perked up whenever the theme song was played. Mainly because Mick Harvey has covered it and its been a long time since I have listened to a Mick Harvey album. 

I'll take that as my inspiration from this film.
     

Quirky Facts

The first Hollywood film to openly feature lesbianism. Barbara Stanwyck became the first American actress to portray a lesbian character in a feature film.

The closing credits show the same black cat as the beginning, walking across a newspaper with a headline reading "DOLL HOUSE CROWD CONVICTED", and further stating they have been sentenced to life imprisonment. This was done at the insistence of the Motion Picture Production Code, to make it clearer that there would be punishment for the events of the movie.

Quotes

You walk on the wild side, the Devil is waitin'
He's waitin' to take your hand
You walk on the wild side, you're walkin' with Satan
Away from the Promised Land
One day of prayin' and six nights of fun
The odds against going to heaven, six-to-one

Future Inspiration

Mick Harvey back catalogue of albums. He is due a listen.