Anna Lucasta

Anna Lucasta is a woman whose love can be bought...or at least rented. I say this because when I tried to write what her profession is, IMDB flagged it and said the term was not permissible. Suffice to say, men pay her money for....well, you know. It seems that she's become a 'good time girl' to pay her way in life because her father threw her out three years ago. However, out of the blue, her father arrives...begging her to come home. Why? Well, they want to marry her off to a guy who has a bit of money...because the family is hoping to get some of this money. If you think about it, it's a very sorry bunch and Anna is actually among the best of them because she puts on no pretense...she is who she is.

When Anna meets this man, they do hit it off and he seems really smitten with her. However, she's apprehensive to tell him about her past...but ultimately does. But, surprisingly, he still wants her. However, her father is an ugly, nasty man...and what he does, well, you'll have to see it for yourself.

This is the original film version, though oddly the family isn't Polish like they were in the original story...a play. However, the play also was later performed with an all-black cast...and it was super successful. Oddly, the film removes all the ethnic and racial aspects of the story...which does make it a bit blander. Fortunately, nine years later, the black film version of "Anna Lucasta" was made...and it was terrific, as I saw it a couple days ago.

What did I think of this particular version? Is it worth seeing? Yes. Although some of the seemier aspects of the remake were missing, the story is still quite strong and well worth seeing. I still prefer the original...mostly because the cast (apart from Sammy Davis Jr.) were all mostly unknown actors of the day...and it made this story of poor folks seem more realistic than one with the familiar Hollywood faces in this 1949 film. It also helped make the father deeper and more corrupt...but in this one he seems more like a nasty drunk and that alone. See them both if you can, as both are currently on YouTube.