CrawlerChunky
In truth, there is barely enough story here to make a film.
WillSushyMedia
This movie was so-so. It had it's moments, but wasn't the greatest.
Aedonerre
I gave this film a 9 out of 10, because it was exactly what I expected it to be.
atlasmb
Don't expect much in the way of pre-Code titillation with this simple film adapted from a play. What you do get is a starring vehicle for Barbara Stanwyck, who plays the moll of a gang who robs banks.After being apprehended, she is sent to San Quentin, where she learns to live with prison rules and the social structure there. She's a tough cookie, always looking to assert herself, even on her first day of captivity.Except for the presence of guards, life as depicted in the women's prison is much like "Stage Door", with a leisurely, genial attitude. Comic touches abound in this film, like the scene where one inmate sings to a headshot of Joe E. Brown, of all people.While Stanwyck is strong in her role and Preston Foster is solid in his briefer portrayal of the revivalist who never gives up on her, "Ladies They Talk About" has a story too simple to challenge the viewer or, for that matter, the actors themselves. And the drama is minimal.But it's fun to see Stanwyck in one of her earlier films.
MartinHafer
This Warner Brothers picture sure is a strange one! While you'd think that this company making a movie about women in prison during the Pre-Code era would be a lot racier and more exciting, it really wasn't. I was pretty much expecting a Bogart or Raft style film with women but the prison looked more like a day spa and the plot was a lot of hooey--making this a rare flop for Barbara Stanwyck.Barbara is the "inside man" during a bank robbery and everyone but her escapes. While in police custody, a bizarre reformer talks to Barbara--telling her that he recognized her as a childhood friend. He wanted to help her and since it wasn't conclusive that she was involved in the holdup, he was arranging with the district attorney to release her to his care. At this point, she confesses that she WAS a part of the gang and he has no choice but to tell the D.A. and she is sent to prison. Now this really didn't make any sense. Why would he stick his neck out for someone he barely knew and why would street-wise Stanwyck confess when she about to be released? When she arrives in prison for a 2-5 year stretch, I was amazed, as the place seemed nicer than most Motel 6's! The cell was decorated by June Cleaver, some of the women sat around while the Black prisoners did their bidding and there was no violence or swearing or much of anything. Perhaps calling it "like a day spa" was overstating it a bit, but not by much because inside they also had hair salons! In fact, considering how bad the Depression was, if they HAD run women's prisons that way, millions of ladies would have committed crimes just to be locked up in this nice abode! Well, apparently this palace of women is next door to the men's prison at San Quentin and Barbara agrees to help some men in their escape attempt. When the attempt backfires and the guys are killed, she blames the reformer from earlier in the story!? This really made no sense at all, but what happened next made it look like the writers either were chimps or perhaps they'd just been drinking. After she served her full sentence, she got out and went to murder the reformer. But after shooting him in the arm, he covers for her and they get married and live happily ever after! I am not kidding and I am not under the influence of drugs--this REALLY is the plot. Sure, there was a bit more to it but the outline and description of life in prison is what was in the film! While this was shown as part of the "homosexuals in Hollywood" theme for Turner Classic Movies in June, the image of a cigar-smoking lesbian inmate was barely noticeable and she was not a major character in the film. Apart from a vague crack made about her and a pretty younger blonde sharing her cell, there wasn't a lot to this aspect of the film. Of course, had the film been made a couple years later (after the strict Production Code was enforced), this innocent enough character would have been eliminated altogether.A dull, silly and utterly frivolous little picture that Ms. Stanwyck couldn't have felt proud having made. It's definitely very skip-able, but also quite watchable...if you like seeing train wrecks!
whpratt1
Barbara Stanwyck, (Nan Taylor) plays the role of a gal who came from the school of hard knocks and has joined up with some gangsters and they plan to pull off a bank robbery. Nan acts as a decoy and convinces the bank guard to open up the bank early so she can make a deposit and carries in a small dog and hands it to the guard, and right behind her the gangsters friends follow in and rob the bank. A detective notices Nan in the bank and remembers her face from previous criminal events she got herself into and arrests her. Dave Slade,(Preston Foster) plays the role as a preacher politician, and remembers Nan from their childhood days and tries to free her of all the charges against her, however, Nan tells him the truth and she winds up in prison with plenty of women who are all a bunch of wild characters. There is even a butch lesbian who likes to smoke cigars and wrestle with other gals. This is a great classic film with veteran actor Lyle Talbot, (Gangster Dan) who breaks into Nan's cell along with her gangster friends in order to bring her back to their world of crime.
blanche-2
Barbara Stanwyck is a front for bank robbers who winds up in San Quentin in "Ladies They Talk About," a pre-code drama. The film is badly dated with very melodramatic acting, the exceptions being Stanwyck and Lillian Roth. Not to mention, it's an absurd story. A popular reformer, "Brother David Slade" falls for Barbara the minute he sees her, believes her innocent, and wants to help her. He arranges for her release from jail, and then, brimming with confidence, she confesses that she was indeed part of the bank robbery. Shattered, he sends her up the river to San Quentin.Once there, Stanwyck becomes a popular inmate with the exception of Sister Susie who's in love with Slade and hates her guts. Stanwyck helps her old buddies from the bank robbery escape by tunneling to her cell. The story goes on from there.Lillian Roth is great as a young woman who befriends Stanwyck, and she gets to sing. Stanwyck is fabulous with her wavy hair and tough talk. Preston Foster mainly looks pious and sincere.The film is interesting because of Stanwyck and Roth, but the story isn't good. Happily this was at the beginning of Stanwyck's career, and she went on to better things.
