Girls on Probation (1938)

Fantastic!

It is not deep, but it is fun to watch. It does have a bit more of an edge to it than other similar films.

if their story seems completely bonkers, almost like a feverish work of fiction, you ain't heard nothing yet.

There is, somehow, an interesting story here, as well as some good acting. There are also some good scenes

Director: WILLIAM C. McGANN. Screenplay: Crane Wilbur. Photography: Arthur L. Todd. Film editor: Frederick Richards. Art director: Hugh Reticker. Costumes designed by Howard Shoup. Music: Howard Jackson. Dialogue director: Harry Seymour. Sound recording: Leslie G. Hewitt. Producer: Bryan Foy.Copyright 3 August 1938 by Warner Brothers Pictures, Inc. A Warner Brothers-First National Picture. New York opening at the Criterion: 19 October 1938. U.S. release: 22 October 1938. 7 reels. 63 minutes.SYNOPSIS: Innocent girl becomes involved in a bank robbery.COMMENT: Early film of Susan Hayward (not her first, however, that was Hollywood Hotel) proves of more than passing interest even to non-Hayward fans. (She has two great scenes, looks terrific, and is her usual fiery, argumentative self). The lead role (despite the billing in the ads for the 1956 re-release) is most skilfully and very sympathetically rendered by Jane Bryan, with an able assist from Sheila Bromley as the no-good Hilda. Ronald Reagan comes over ably enough, though he disappears from the action for long spells and his role is really no more than a support for the Bryan-Bromley plot. Some fine character studies are provided by Rumann (a believable tyrant) and Risdon (her farewell scene at the bus staion is quite touching), Dale and Peterson. McGann has directed with plenty of pace and verve. All told, a fast-movingly suspenseful 63 minutes.

This movie, Susan Hayward's first credited feature, was re-released in 1956, after "I'll Cry Tomorrow", and not only billed her name above the title but in misleading advertising depicted her as a gun moll - "Nice Kid Today - Jail Bird Tomorrow"!!! It must have really thrilled Miss Hayward, I don't think!! As it was, reviewers of the day didn't even notice her. The real bad girl, Hilda, was played by Sheila Bromley, who until the year before had been Sheila Mannors, unfortunately the new name didn't give her career a boost and she remained in obscurity. The star was Jane Bryan, a discovery of Bette Davis, who proved she had a real future in films, until she decided to retire in 1939 for marriage.The title "Girls on Probation" sounds up to the minute, plucked from today's headlines etc but it wasn't, just another innocent girl who gets into a heap of trouble. Connie (Jane Bryan) borrows a dress from "friend" Hilda, not realising that she has "borrowed" it from the dry cleaning shop where they both work. At a party, the real owner of the dress, socialite, Gloria (Susan Hayward) recognises her dress and reports it to the dry cleaners the next day. As luck would have it, the dress (who may be the real star of the movie) has been torn and to cut a long story short, Connie, who is completely in the dark about her friend's activities, eventually has to leave town to make a fresh start.One day Connie sees Hilda sitting in a car and decides to have it out with her, but Hilda, along with her ne'er do well boyfriend, Tony, are in the middle of a bank robbery and Connie, who is bundled into the car, is caught up in the crime. When the law catches up with her, rather than tell her real name and have her parents (her father (Sig Rumann) is a bully) learn of her shame, she keeps silent and is eventually put on probation while Hilda goes to prison. Connie goes back home and eventually gets a job with Neil Dillon (Ronald Reagan) the assistant district attorney, who has never stopped believing in her. Hilda now reappears and threatens Connie with exposure but Connie, determined now to be law abiding, informs the police and the movie ends in an exciting gun battle between the police and Tony, who has escaped from prison. Hilda is hit in the crossfire but manages to have a complete change of personality on the way to the hospital as she wishes Connie and Neill all the best.Even further down the cast list than Susan, was Peggy Shannon, "the girl with the heart shaped face", once an exquisitely beautiful actress who was now almost unemployable due to chronic alcoholism. She played Ruth, who seemed to be head girl in the prison where Connie and Hilda were sent.Recommended.

Poor Connie Heath (Jane Bryan) can't catch a break. Her father is stern and unforgiving. He doesn't trust her going out or any of her friends. It turns out his mistrust in one friend, Hilda Engstrom, is well founded.Hilda talks Connie into lying to her father and going to a dance he has forbidden. She "loans" Connie a dress she has stolen from the cleaners where they work. Connie gets into trouble but manages to avoid jail time. Her father does boot her out of the house, however.Connie goes to the city and runs into Hilda again. Hilda is sitting in a idling car… outside a bank. Connie decides this is the time to give Hilda a piece of her mind and hops in the car to do so! About this time, Hilda's partner comes running out of the bank, guns blazing. Rather than hopping out of the car, Connie sits there with a puzzled look. She's apparently bewildered by all this. During the high speed police chase Connie gathers her wits and takes the gun. The robbers pull over and the cops find Connie holding the gun.Afraid of her father finding out, Connie decides it's better to go to prison than explain the events. A case worker takes an interest and investigates on her own. She convinces Connie to tell the truth and gets her out on probation.Working for and falling in love with DA Dillon (sounds groovy) Connie thinks her life is back on track. But Hilda returns to try and stir things up again, still talking. Somehow, amid all the nonstop talking of their own, Connie had failed to mention to Dillon that she was fresh out of jail and on probation for the bank robbery.Sound movies had just turned a decade old but the novelty had clearly not worn off. Everything remained dialogue-driven. These people talk and talk… and then talk. No scene is set through visuals, no emotions are described through facial expression. Each and every element is articulated through exposition.The cast is fun and never shuts up. Jane Bryan is cheery despite her character's many setbacks. And she talks about all of it. Sheila Bromley is equally verbose as the diabolical Hilda. Ronald Reagan orates unceasingly as the love interest, Dillon.This type of rapid-fire dialog was a staple of movies during this era and "Girls on Probation" is a jewel of an example. Highly recommended for a look at a typical by-the-numbers production of the 30s.

Warner's Brothers B unit goes for a straight exploitation plot, but manages to stay within the Production Code nonetheless, resulting in a movie that is neither amusingly salacious nor particularly well made -- a look at the plot outline offered by the Internet Movie Database will give you a rough idea of how silly and coincidence-actuated it is.Ronald Reagan seems to have been temporarily typecast as an insurance man at this time. Here he is a lawyer for an insurance company. Sig Rumann appears with black hair, ordering his daughter into the cold night, Sheila Bromley spontaneously develops a nasal tone and the habit of talking out of the side of her mouth and Jane Bryan, in the lead role, tries to present an air of bewildered innocence without once stammering or hesitating.Most of the other actors don't seem to put that much effort into this tripe. Don't you either.