Wayward (1932) review - That mother-in-law is pure evil

If you love dusty old 1930s melodramas where a mean mother-in-law ruins everyone's day, you might actually enjoy Wayward. But if you hate slow, creaky stage plays captured on film, stay far away from this one. 😬

Nancy Carroll plays Daisy, a chorus girl who marries a rich boy named Mac. She thinks she is getting a fairytale, but instead she gets his mother.

His mother, played by Pauline Frederick, is terrifying. She has this cold glare that could freeze a radiator.

There is a scene early on where Daisy tries to fit in at the fancy family house. It is so awkward to watch.

Daisy wears this dress that is way too flashy for the mother's taste. The camera just stares at the mother's disgusted face for like ten seconds too long. 🙄

Honestly, the husband is a bit of a wet noodle. He just lets his mom bully his new wife and does nothing.

It kind of reminds me of that other movie Mama's Baby Boy, but with way more crying.

And boy, there is a lot of crying in this movie. Nancy Carroll has these massive eyes that just pool with tears instantly.

Some of the sound recording is pretty rough, though. You can hear this low hiss in the background during the quiet scenes.

It feels like they only had one microphone hidden in a flower pot on the table.

At one point, a maid walks in and her shoes squeak so loudly it totally distracts from the big argument. I laughed out loud.

It is not quite as fun or energetic as Movie Crazy from the same year, but it has its charms if you like old-school soap operas.

The drama feels very different from silent era stuff like The Siren, but the acting is still super theatrical.

The third act gets incredibly rushed. Suddenly there is a baby, then a big scandal, and then everything gets resolved in like three minutes.

The ending is so sudden it feels like the film reel just broke.

Still, Pauline Frederick makes the whole thing worth a look. She is just so wonderfully awful to everyone. 🍿