Bad Girl (1931) Review: A messy, real look at marriage

Is it worth a watch?

If you like movies that feel like you're eavesdropping on neighbors through a thin apartment wall, yes. You'll probably hate it if you need big explosions or a fast plot, because this is just people talking (or not talking) in small rooms.

The first thing you gotta know is that the title Bad Girl is a total lie. Dot isn't a bad girl; she’s actually kind of a pushover for a guy who repairs radios for a living.

I caught this the other night and was surprised by how much it didn't feel like a 'classic' movie. It’s got this grainy, sweaty New York energy that makes you forget it’s nearly a hundred years old.

James Dunn plays Eddie, and he’s got this huge ego that hides the fact that he’s totally broke. He spends the first twenty minutes trying to look like a big shot, which is honestly kind of painful to watch.

Sally Eilers is Dot, and she has this very soft, tired face that makes you want to give her a sandwich and a nap. They meet on a boat, and the chemistry is just... weirdly real.

It’s not that movie-star magic where everything is perfect. They’re awkward and they say the wrong things, which I loved.

The whole plot is basically about how they get married and then immediately start lying to each other because they’re scared. Eddie thinks Dot doesn't want a baby, and Dot thinks Eddie doesn't want a baby, so they both just act like jerks for an hour.

It’s frustrating! I kept wanting to reach into the screen and just shake them both.

There is this one scene where Eddie is trying to save money for a fancy doctor. He starts working nights and acting all suspicious, and you can see Dot's heart just breaking because she thinks he's bored of her.

It reminded me a bit of the domestic tension in Passion Flower, but way less melodramatic. It felt more like real life, where you're worried about the rent and the the sink is leaking.

Minna Gombell plays Dot's friend, Edna, and she is easily the best part of the whole thing. She’s got this razor-sharp tongue and zero patience for Eddie’s nonsense.

Every time she’s on screen, the movie gets a little more life. She’s like the audience’s voice, just rolling her eyes at how dumb these two kids are being.

I noticed the sets are really cramped. The apartments look like actual places where people live, not fancy movie sets with high ceilings.

You can almost smell the old wallpaper and the cooking grease. It makes the whole 'lack of trust' theme feel much heavier because they literally have nowhere to go to get away from each other.

There’s a bit with a radio—obviously, since Eddie is a repairman—where the sound just cuts in and out. It’s a small thing, but it felt like a nice touch for 1931.

Compared to something like Lady Windermere's Fan, which is all about high society and fancy hats, this is very much in the gutter. But in a good way!

The pacing gets a little slow in the middle. There’s a long stretch where they just sit in the dark and look sad, and it goes on maybe a minute too long.

But then James Dunn does this thing with his hands when he’s nervous that is just so human. You can tell he was really feeling the character's panic about becoming a dad.

I also liked how the movie handles the 'doctor' situation. Back then, having a baby was a huge financial deal, and the movie doesn't shy away from the math of it all.

It’s not as gritty as Danger Lights, but it has that same working-man vibe. It’s about the struggle to be 'respectable' when you're barely making it.

One thing that bugged me: the ending feels a little bit rushed. Like they realized they only had five minutes of film left and had to wrap up a year of trauma in two scenes.

Still, it’s a sweet movie. It’s a movie about how being 'tough' usually just makes things harder for everyone you love.

• The Good: The acting feels like real people talking, not actors reciting lines.
• The Bad: The title makes no sense and the middle drags.
• The Weird: There’s a scene with a guy in a hallway that is just... unintentionally hilarious.

If you've ever had a massive argument with your partner because one of you forgot to say something important, you’ll get this movie. It’s a quiet little gem that deserves more eyes on it than it gets these days.

I’m glad I watched it, even if I wanted to yell at Eddie the whole time. It’s just a very human story about being young and scared and broke in a big city. 🗽