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Forbidden

Play trailer Poster for Forbidden Released Jan 15, 1932 1h 23m Drama Play Trailer Watchlist
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Tomatometer 4 Reviews 67% Popcornmeter 100+ Ratings
On a cruise ship headed to Havana, librarian Lulu Smith (Barbara Stanwyck) meets dashing attorney Bob Grover (Adolphe Menjou), and they quickly become inseparable. When they return home, their relationship is complicated by an inconvenient fact: Bob is married and unwilling to leave his bedridden wife. Their relationship dissolves, and Lulu decides not to tell him that she's pregnant with his child. But, when Bob becomes district attorney, a nosy reporter may uncover the explosive news anyway.
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Critics Reviews

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David Jenkins Time Out The vitriol and hurt coursing through this prickly, scandalous pre-code melodrama from 1932 may wrong-foot those who had director Frank Capra pegged as head cheerleader for good ol' American democracy and cheery, affirmative humanist values. Rated: 4/5 Oct 27, 2010 Full Review Sarah Manvel Cinemattraction Wrestling with how a working mother can find fulfillment without being forced to choose between her career and her children is still a relevant topic today - therefore so is Forbidden. Aug 7, 2018 Full Review Stephen Hughes Radio Times This is sadly disappointing stuff from such masters of their craft. Rated: 2/5 Oct 28, 2010 Full Review Philip Kemp Total Film Well before the end the whole thing collapses into rip-roaring melodrama. Rated: 2/5 Oct 27, 2010 Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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Alain E A nice classic melodrama about a beautiful and honest young girl of low means who on the spur of a moment takes alone a vacation to Havana, in the good old days. There she falls in love with a much older man for unclear reasons. It turns out that the aforementioned gentleman is not exactly single. As this is happening before effective contraception, there is inevitably a little girl born. After that she discontinues the affair and raises her daughter alone, until they reconnect with her paramour who is an attorney with political ambitions. He presents the little girl as an orphan that he adopted, as his wife is chronically ill and unable to conceive. The mother is the governess who inexplicably abandons her daughter with her lover’s family, but continues the affair. Later on there is a wedding of convenience and a homicide. The Romeo, who ends up elected as governor, dies and leaves her half his estate, but she is above money. In summary, a completely realistic story beautifully photographed. Ms Stanwyck is very attractive and the male protagonists play their parts well. Another old treasure available free on Tubi. Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 11/14/24 Full Review Cynthia C For my money, a deeper, richer film than Stella Dallas. Rated 4 out of 5 stars 09/14/24 Full Review Steve D Stanwyck is all this melodrama has going for it, but as always it is enough. Rated 3 out of 5 stars 05/04/23 Full Review Audience Member Early Frank Capra film, where he's actually billed as Frank R. Capra, about a spinster librarian, Barbara Stanwyck, falling for an unobtainable married man,Adolphe Menjou, who's married to a crippled wife. It's a pretty hamfisted melodrama and to me seems like more evidence of those who claim that Capra was not a great director and was only ever as good as his scripts. Ralph Bellamy also appears in the film. Rated 2 out of 5 stars 01/31/23 Full Review Audience Member Overblown meller that Missy Stanwyck makes worth watching, as she always did. Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars 02/27/23 Full Review Audience Member barabara stanwyk does a fantastic job with the material she's given, but "forbidden" doesn't seem to aim any higher than mediocrity. Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars 02/03/23 Full Review Read all reviews
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Movie Info

Synopsis On a cruise ship headed to Havana, librarian Lulu Smith (Barbara Stanwyck) meets dashing attorney Bob Grover (Adolphe Menjou), and they quickly become inseparable. When they return home, their relationship is complicated by an inconvenient fact: Bob is married and unwilling to leave his bedridden wife. Their relationship dissolves, and Lulu decides not to tell him that she's pregnant with his child. But, when Bob becomes district attorney, a nosy reporter may uncover the explosive news anyway.
Director
Frank Capra
Producer
Harry Cohn, Frank Capra
Screenwriter
Jo Swerling
Distributor
Columbia Pictures
Production Co
Columbia Pictures
Genre
Drama
Original Language
English
Release Date (Theaters)
Jan 15, 1932, Original
Release Date (Streaming)
Mar 8, 2019
Runtime
1h 23m
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