Playthings of Desire (1933): A Quaint Trip Back to Old Hollywood Melodrama

Alright, so if you're thinking about watching Playthings of Desire today, you gotta know what you're getting into. This isn't some lost masterpiece; it’s a 1933 film, pure and simple. If you're a pre-Code movie fan, or just someone fascinated by how films looked and sounded before everything got slick, then yes, give it a shot. You'll probably enjoy spotting the old acting styles and the very particular kind of drama. But if you’re after something fast-paced, with crystal-clear sound and modern storytelling, you’ll probably find yourself a bit bored, maybe even frustrated. This one’s for the film history buffs, not your average Friday night movie watcher. 🎬

The plot, as these things go, centers around Marie, a young woman who finds herself tangled in some rather *unfortunate* circumstances involving a wealthy man, a missing fortune, and a whole lot of gossip. It’s the kind of story that would have filled the pages of a dime novel back then.

One thing that really sticks out is the sound. Oh, the sound! You know, sometimes in these old films, it’s like they just put one microphone in the middle of the room and hoped for the best. There are moments where the dialogue is perfectly clear, and then suddenly, someone turns their head slightly, and their voice drops to a near whisper. You really gotta lean in. 👂

The acting, too, is a whole different beast. James Kirkwood, as the older, perhaps shady character, has this way of looking intensely at people. It feels very theatrical, like he’s still playing to the back row of a stage. You can almost feel him pausing for applause sometimes.

There's this one scene, I think it’s in a rather grand drawing-room, where Marie has to deliver a very important line, a confession of sorts. The camera just sort of sits there, watching her. It goes on about 20 seconds too long, and the silence starts to feel awkward rather than emotional. You just keep thinking, 'Okay, someone say something now?'

And the sets! They’re charming in their own way. The wallpaper in one of the apartments looks like it was painted on a flimsy piece of wood. During a particularly heated argument, I swear the door frame jiggled a little when someone slammed the door. Small details, but they add to the whole *experience* of watching something this old.

Molly O'Day, playing Marie, she has a certain vulnerability. You really feel for her character, even if the situations she gets into are sometimes a little… over the top. She does a good job carrying the emotional weight, though you can tell she's still finding her footing with talking pictures.

What I found most interesting wasn't the big twists, because honestly, you can see most of them coming a mile away. It was the little choices they made. Like the way they used close-ups. Sometimes they felt so sudden, like 'BAM! Here’s a face!' without much buildup. It’s very direct.

The pacing, for sure, is a slower burn than anything we’re used to. There are long stretches where not a whole lot happens, just people looking worried or staring off into space. It gives you time to really soak in the fashion and the peculiar manners of the era, which is its own kind of reward, I suppose.

All in all, Playthings of Desire is a curious little time capsule. It’s not going to blow your mind with innovative filmmaking, but it offers a genuine glimpse into the early days of sound cinema. It’s a bit clunky, sometimes unintentionally funny, but always *earnest*. And there’s something quite endearing about that. ✨

Didja notice?

• That one background extra who kept looking directly at the camera.
• The music cutting in very abruptly, like someone just hit the 'play' button in the next room.
• A character dramatically throwing a letter onto a table, and it kind of skitters right off. Small thing.
• The phone ringing, and it sounds less like a bell and more like someone tapping a metal spoon.
• How often people just stood around, waiting for their cue to speak.