In this film a couple (Kay Francis and George Brent) must overcome nearly insurmountable odds; and the basis of their romantic relationship is framed within the context of greater societal issues. Mostly the issues involve paid labor. A bridge construction crew headed by Brent begins to fall under the control of a man (Barton MacLane) running a protection racket. But the showdown between Brent and MacLane doesn't occur until the last 15 minutes of the story.
The first hour instead focuses on how Brent meets Francis and how he disapproves of her life as a working woman, where her priority is helping the dregs of society. He makes it perfectly clear that he feels these people are wasting her time. He'd much rather she devote herself entirely to him and being his wife. There are some nicely comical scenes where their dates are interrupted by her work, and where he is brought into contact with the people she helps. She tells him that while he is building things of steel, she is building things of people.
In the end, we know they are going to wind up together and that she will help him defeat the racketeers. The last few moments give us new insights into them and how they've grown through their ordeal. They both realize there are things about each other that shouldn't change; and those are the meaningful things they must accept in each other. It's a beautiful story, and the performers do well with it under Borzage's thoughtful direction.
The first hour instead focuses on how Brent meets Francis and how he disapproves of her life as a working woman, where her priority is helping the dregs of society. He makes it perfectly clear that he feels these people are wasting her time. He'd much rather she devote herself entirely to him and being his wife. There are some nicely comical scenes where their dates are interrupted by her work, and where he is brought into contact with the people she helps. She tells him that while he is building things of steel, she is building things of people.
In the end, we know they are going to wind up together and that she will help him defeat the racketeers. The last few moments give us new insights into them and how they've grown through their ordeal. They both realize there are things about each other that shouldn't change; and those are the meaningful things they must accept in each other. It's a beautiful story, and the performers do well with it under Borzage's thoughtful direction.