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Back Street

  • 1941
  • Approved
  • 1h 29m
IMDb RATING
6.7/10
730
YOUR RATING
Charles Boyer and Margaret Sullavan in Back Street (1941)
DramaRomance

Five years after meeting and falling in love with a banker, a willful shop girl decides to become his mistress upon learning he has since gotten married and had a son.Five years after meeting and falling in love with a banker, a willful shop girl decides to become his mistress upon learning he has since gotten married and had a son.Five years after meeting and falling in love with a banker, a willful shop girl decides to become his mistress upon learning he has since gotten married and had a son.

  • Director
    • Robert Stevenson
  • Writers
    • Bruce Manning
    • Felix Jackson
    • Fannie Hurst
  • Stars
    • Charles Boyer
    • Margaret Sullavan
    • Richard Carlson
  • See production info at IMDbPro
  • IMDb RATING
    6.7/10
    730
    YOUR RATING
    • Director
      • Robert Stevenson
    • Writers
      • Bruce Manning
      • Felix Jackson
      • Fannie Hurst
    • Stars
      • Charles Boyer
      • Margaret Sullavan
      • Richard Carlson
    • 19User reviews
    • 6Critic reviews
  • See production info at IMDbPro
  • See production info at IMDbPro
    • Nominated for 1 Oscar
      • 3 wins & 1 nomination total

    Photos71

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    Top cast75

    Edit
    Charles Boyer
    Charles Boyer
    • Walter Saxel
    Margaret Sullavan
    Margaret Sullavan
    • Ray Smith
    Richard Carlson
    Richard Carlson
    • Curt Stanton
    Frank McHugh
    Frank McHugh
    • Ed Porter
    Tim Holt
    Tim Holt
    • Richard Saxel
    Frank Jenks
    Frank Jenks
    • Harry Niles
    Esther Dale
    Esther Dale
    • Mrs. Smith
    Samuel S. Hinds
    Samuel S. Hinds
    • Felix Darren
    Peggy Stewart
    Peggy Stewart
    • Fredda Smith
    Nell O'Day
    Nell O'Day
    • Elizabeth Saxel
    Kitty O'Neil
    • Mrs. Dilling
    Nella Walker
    Nella Walker
    • Corinne Saxel
    Cecil Cunningham
    Cecil Cunningham
    • Mrs. Miller
    Marjorie Gateson
    Marjorie Gateson
    • Mrs. Adams
    Dale Winter
    Dale Winter
    • Miss Evans
    Eddie Acuff
    Eddie Acuff
    • Andy
    • (uncredited)
    Dorothy Adams
    Dorothy Adams
    • Mrs. Brown
    • (uncredited)
    William Alston
    • Reporter
    • (uncredited)
    • Director
      • Robert Stevenson
    • Writers
      • Bruce Manning
      • Felix Jackson
      • Fannie Hurst
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

    User reviews19

    6.7730
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    Featured reviews

    10machine2

    a real chick flick!!!

    This is my favorite movie of all times. It makes me cry, laugh, and hope. Rae makes your heart break for her. I never stop hoping that the ending will change. I know thats silly but...hey its a movie! Every woman should see this film if she is considering having an affair with a married man! I love all the versions but this is the best one! The ending just floors me each time I watch it.
    susan-scholey

    This movie isn't out-of-date

    "This film (based on a Fanny Hurst best seller) is way out of date in the modern age. No self-respecting woman would be so willing to sacrifice her career for the prospect of being a millionaire's kept woman. No man, seriously in love with any woman, would put them through such a demeaning situation (they would consider divorce first of all, then remarriage). But there was supposed to be a sense of self-sacrifice by the heroine (Margaret Sullivan) that transcended the entire story."

    The point is, this film isn't set in the modern age. There's no sense judging this or any other movie set in another era by today's standards. At the time this story took place, divorce wasn't common. In fact, it was still considered scandalous. Many women put up with unhappy, even abusive marriages, rather than incur the wrath of society that a divorce would have brought upon them. Also, regardless of what her career prospects may have been, a man's career always took precedence. There's no way that he would have sacrificed his family and his career in order to divorce his wife and marry his mistress. There's no way she would have asked him to. This was made very clear in a conversation that took place between them.

    When you watch a movie set in another time you need to keep in mind that the rules that governed society are most likely far different than the ones we have today. You need to judge it by those rules or not at all.
    Kirpianuscus

    touching

    a moment. and its significance. love. and its force who change everything. and the need to respect the rules. one of the films who gives more than the flavor of old fashion cinema. but good performances, seductive - dramatic story, the bitter perspective about chance, choices and sacrifice, the opportunity to come back to a broken dream and the moral lesson who remains the perfect end. a love story who becomes game of memories. at the first sigh, this is all. but only the top of the iceberg. because Charles Boyer seems be perfect as the man looking for the true love. and he has the great gift to be part of beautiful cast who gives to story brilliance and profound roots.
    Vincentiu

    the old flavor

    the flavor from a lost period and manner to discover/invent reality, Charles Boyer in his classic character clothes,Margaret Sullavan looks, the drops of romance and drama, the pink crumbs and a decent acting are the pillars of that version. a version from the middle of war who use in smart manner the hope, love and a sentimental affair.maybe, it is not the best version. but it has a perfect cast for translate the story in right sentimental tone. that fact is really important because it reminds the flavor of a world. and the result is a kind of gem. not very precious, not exactly unique but nice at whole. a film for rainy afternoons and Sunday evening. like an old love song.
    Cdorothygale

    Finest version of the Fannie Hurst novel.

    Two of Hollywood's greatest actors, Charles Boyer and Margaret Sullavan, starred in this first remake of the 30s tearjerker, and they

    portrayed the star-crossed lovers with great restraint. Acting, writing and direction all combined to create the ultimate BACK STREET! Warners had their crime dramas, MGM had their musicals, Paramount had their comedies, and Universal had the best weepers. This may be the very best one ever! Even the supporting cast was hand-picked with care. Richard Carlson, ever the "other guy", does his thing once more, and we want him to win for a change, but in this case, true love ruins all. Frank McHugh, as Rae's friend, gives perhaps his best performance.

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    Related interests

    Mahershala Ali and Alex R. Hibbert in Moonlight (2016)
    Drama
    Ingrid Bergman and Humphrey Bogart in Casablanca (1942)
    Romance

    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      A contemporary article in the Los Angeles Examiner stated Joan Fontaine was originally cast in the female lead, but she was replaced by Margaret Sullavan before shooting began.
    • Goofs
      In the closing sequences, which are supposed to be taking place in 1928, all of the women's hair styles and clothes, particularly those of Nell O'Day, and especially Margaret Sullavan's square-shouldered fur cape, are strictly contemporary 1941.
    • Connections
      Featured in The Universal Story (1996)
    • Soundtracks
      Auld Lang Syne
      (uncredited)

      Traditional Scottish music

      Lyrics by Robert Burns

      Sung by New Year's Eve party revellers

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    FAQ17

    • How long is Back Street?Powered by Alexa

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • February 7, 1941 (United States)
    • Country of origin
      • United States
    • Language
      • English
    • Also known as
      • Fanny Hurst's Back Street
    • Filming locations
      • Universal Studios - 100 Universal City Plaza, Universal City, California, USA
    • Production company
      • Universal Pictures
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Tech specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      • 1h 29m(89 min)
    • Color
      • Black and White
    • Aspect ratio
      • 1.37 : 1

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