Irene Dunne stars as Ray Smith, the mistress of a well-off married man (John Boles) who lives her life selflessly for him, relegating her forever to the "Back Street" of the title. This film and Dunne's performance were the ultimate in "soap opera" entertainment for the early 1930's and audiences loved it. Boles, a wooden actor if there ever was one, is actually quite good in this movie as Walter Saxel, the man Dunne just can't seem to get enough of. Unfortunately, since he's married and raising a family, there isn't too much of him to go around. The tear-jerking ending is worth sticking around for, however, and it's a good idea to keep a box of tissues handy.

Despite the year (1932), the film tackles an issue that was somewhat taboo for the times (i.e. extra-marital sex and its consequences). It's all done tastefully and relatively true to the original novel by Fannie Hurst. For those unfamiliar with her work, Ms. Hurst was the Danielle Steele of her day, although she's largely forgotten now. So is this film, but it's worth seeing if only for a view of an early performance by the incredible Irene Dunne. Of course, the talented Ms. Dunne went on to star in more famous movies than this one, but she gives a worthy effort to the proceedings here and raises the film far above the norm.

Three of the best actresses around, Irene Dunne, Margaret Sullavan, and Susan Hayward all played the lead role of Rae Schmidt in three different versions of Back Street. It's a timeless tale and can be adapted to any time and place in history. The novel by Fannie Hurst was written in 1931 and most of the action takes place in the pre-World War I years and then jumps to the present day of 1932 reflecting the time she's been a Back Street woman.

Back Street the story is once again an affirmation of the heart having its own reasons. In this first film version Irene Dunne meets John Boles who is an upwardly mobile young man in the banking business. That's it for her she's in love. But Boles is about to get married to Doris Lloyd. Still when Boles goes to New York where he becomes successful he sets Dunne up in an apartment there and she's his kept woman for over 20 years.

Reading the Wikipedia article on Back Street one crucial component is missing from this adaption. The fact that Boles is Jewish and much under his mother's thumb to marry within the faith. Maude Turner Gordon plays the mother and she's formidable. But Boles is the weakest thing in this adaption. Without the religious component he comes across like a Mama's boy.

Like it or not Dunne is stuck on him. She even passes up an opportunity to marry boy next door George Meeker who makes it big with those new fangled contraptions, the horseless carriage.

Back Street both book and film version and take your choice set a standard for tales of romance on the side and sly. This one set the mark for the other two to follow.