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7.1/10
Senior Film Conservator
A definitive 7.1/10 rating for a film that redefined the boundaries of cult cinema. Lover Come Back remains a cornerstone of transgressive art.
Is Lover Come Back worth watching today? Hmm. It's a curious little flick. If you’re really into those pre-Code dramas where everyone seems to be making terrible choices, you might find something here. But if you're looking for something with a bit more punch or a clear moral compass, you'll probably just find yourself shaking your head. It's a specific taste, for sure.
The story opens with Connie (Betty Bronson) and Tom (Fred Santley) being all sweet, then *poof* Vivian (Kathryn Givney) enters the picture, and Tom's eyes just glaze over. It's like he saw a shiny object and forgot everything else. You almost feel bad for Connie, but then she starts making her own questionable decisions.
Connie gets entangled with her married boss, Yates (Dave O'Brien). This whole dynamic feels less like a passionate affair and more like a desperate reach for something, anything. The way Yates tries to be smooth, it's almost comical, honestly. He just drips this sort of oily charm that seems to work on some people, somehow.
And then there's Vivian, who isn't just a gold-digger; she's also messing around with Yates. The film doesn't really try to hide anyone's bad behavior, which is kinda refreshing in a twisted way. It just lays it all out there, like, "Yep, everyone's a bit of a scoundrel."
There's this one scene where Connie is talking to a friend, just after Tom has left her for Vivian. Her friend gives her this totally unhelpful advice, something about *moving on* but with a definite undertone of "you should have seen this coming." It’s a very 1930s take on female solidarity, which is to say, not much.
The whole thing with Tom divorcing Vivian and then coming back to Connie, even after her own "indiscretion," is just… wild. It makes you wonder what anyone in this movie actually values. Is it just about who's available at the end? The logic of it all is pretty squishy. You can almost feel the script trying to tie things up neatly, but the knots are all loose.
One small thing that stuck with me was the office setting. Those old typewriters and the general hustle, it feels so distant. Yet the gossip and the *looks* exchanged, those haven't changed a bit. It’s funny how some things just carry over, no matter the decade. ☕
Fred Santley as Tom, he has this earnestness that's almost painful to watch sometimes. He's easily swayed, easily hurt, and honestly, a bit of a doormat. You kinda want to shake him and say, "Dude, wake up!"
The movie doesn't spend a lot of time on consequences, not really. People just sort of move from one bad situation to another, and then eventually land on something that looks like stability. It’s less about growth and more about musical chairs, but with feelings. 🤷♀️
It's not a film that stays with you for deep thoughts, but it’s a decent peek into the tangled romantic lives depicted in early talkies. It's got its moments, for sure, especially if you like seeing characters make decisions that are just *so* obviously wrong. It’s got that charm of an era where moral lines were a little blurrier on screen, before the censors really clamped down. Like some of the wild stuff you'd find in Behind Office Doors, but maybe a touch less frantic.
The dialogue is often snappy, sometimes a little too neat, but it moves things along. You don't get much time to dwell on motivations, which is probably for the best. Sometimes, a character just does a thing because the plot needs them to, and you just kinda roll with it. No grand analysis needed, just watch the drama unfold.
IMDb 4.8
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