THEY CALL IT SIN (1932)

Pre-Code romantic melodrama which retains some interest for its plot and cast. Loretta Young is a young woman from Merton, Kansas who plays the organ at the church and aspires to be a songwriter. David Manners is a New York businessman stuck overnight in Merton. As nothing is open in town on Sunday morning, he wanders into church and catches Young's eye; he hangs around town a few extra days and soon, they're having a little dalliance despite the fact that he has a fiancee (Helen Vinson) back home in the big city. After he leaves, Young has a falling out with her parents; it turns out that she was actually the illegitimate daughter of a chorus girl who had been stranded in Kansas some years ago. Young lights out for NYC and is distressed to find out about Vinson, but she makes other friends: a big hearted chorus girl (Una Merkel in her patented best friend role), a high society doctor (George Brent), and a big-shot Broadway producer (Louis Calhern). As Young begins to make headway in a musical career, Calhern tries to seduce her, which leads to betrayal, theft, and an accidental death. As is often the case with 30's films like this, the narrative wraps up too quickly and perfunctorily, but otherwise it's not a bad little film. Young and Brent are fine, Merkel is wonderful, and Manners is handsome. Roscoe Karns has a nice short bit, and I laughed at the spit take when Manners announces to his friends that he met the sexy Young in church. [TCM]