'Back Street' 1961

 

Susan Hayward & John Gavin in "Back Street." Susie's vehicle all the way!

John Gavin's unhappy hubby oughtn't have let Vera Miles' virago wife take the wheel!

The ’61 remake of Fanny Hurst’s Back Street is the third retelling of the teary tale and a favorite of Susan Hayward fans. The first two starred Irene Dunne (’32) and Margaret Sullivan (‘41), so a case could be made for any of the three, as to who was the most noble Fanny Hurst film mistress.

This big screen soap is one of a string of glossy remakes created by glamour fan/producer Ross Hunter: Magnificent Obsession, Imitation of Life, Back Street, and Madame X. The first two were directed by Douglas Sirk, who gave his mainstream soaps subversive subtext. Back Street was directed by David Miller, who was skillful at directing veteran actors to best advantage, but was a straightforward studio director.

Susan Hayward dominates the third version of "Back Street" like a true movie diva.

Backstreet is the tale of a promising young woman with dreams of being a fashion designer, but whose life is altered by falling in love with a married man. In the original story, the woman is compromised by giving her life over as the other woman, and literally living a “back street” life as his mistress. In this update, Susan Hayward’s Rae Smith has her own flourishing career, but eventually agrees to be on call as the married man’s lover. John Gavin’s Paul Saxon is trapped in a loveless marriage to drunken shrew Liz, who wants to remain a rich wife to this department store heir. The main premise here is the film’s major weak point. The two illicit lovers are gaga for each other at first sight, yet he won’t divorce the wife for his children’s sake and the independent career woman runs to his beck and call at the drop of a hat. Even in this early ‘60s era, a rich couple no longer in love would just discreetly live separate lives and not upset the apple cart.

Susan Hayward & John Gavin's characters love is picture perfect in "Back Street."

But this is a Ross Hunter production, so suspension of disbelief is mandatory for his “suffering in mink” sagas. Such coincidences as the main characters running into each other at the most dramatically opportune times (like Hayward’s helping up Miles’ drunken character just as her husband runs over to assist). Or staring into department store windows just as the other lover happens to walk up, reflection in the glass. There are also lovers’ dramatic phone calls, with phones that conveniently match the color scheme of their costumes and décor! And the usual missed opportunities of lovers who can’t seem to get together, soap opera style.

This Back Street was a moderate hit and Susan Hayward’s most successful latter day starring role—though her guest role as Broadway barracuda Helen Lawson in Valley of the Dolls in ‘67 was her biggest all-time hit movie.

John Gavin & Susan Hayward make a handsome couple in "Back Street."

As Rae Smith, Susan is sympathetic and warm as the designing woman with big dreams. Hayward was 43 when Back Street was filmed and she looks lovely, as photographed by Stanley Cortez. Unlike her later ‘60s outings, Hayward’s hairstyles are simpler and look softer, and Susan looks sensational in Jean Louis’ clothes. As the wife from hell, Vera Miles gets to be glamorous, after her drab turn in Psycho. Jean Louis’ costumes for the two women are chic. Also interesting is that both women were cast against type: Susan made a career out playing tough cookies, whereas Vera Miles almost always played warmly classy in her career. Here they play opposites, and both are just as good at it.

Vera Miles, as the rich bitch wife, gets to look glam in Jean Louis outfits.

Susan Hayward sure looks much more subtle in Back Street than Lana Turner did in Imitation of Life. Both films are rags to riches tales, told over a number of years, But Susan doesn’t have that fuzzy-focused and shellacked look that Lana required. Both also shared a co-star in their respective Ross Hunter sagas—John Gavin. Gavin was a decade younger than Lana and 14 years younger than Susie. Tall, dark, and handsome, Gavin looked good opposite both of them. Both actresses were “playing young” in the early sections, and Gavin was given a spray of silver in his hair for the later scenes. Though the age difference was noticeable, it was far more common for aging male actors of the day—especially Gable, Cooper, and Astaire—to co-star opposite women often 25 years younger!

Susan Hayward, a rare chance to play glam, as a designing woman, in "Back Street."

In Where Love Has Gone three years later, Hayward would replay the playing younger bit, again as a WWII era woman in love, growing unhappier up to current day… and age! And that would co-star another young actor, Mike Connors.

If you’ve watched enough Universal TV shows and movies from the ‘60s and ‘70s, you’ll notice the back lot sets look familiar. Also, the huge picture window in Susie’s “country cottage” reminded me of Rock Hudson’s DIY mill dream home in All That Heaven Allows. The recreating of far flung locales, mixing location shooting with artificial back lot exteriors and soundstage interiors, was quickly becoming passé. Still, Hunter’s productions look fabulous, no matter how fake. The sets, costumes, furs, the jewels, hair and makeup, all are total glam.

John Gavin & Susan Hayward bump into each other, over drunken Vera Miles, in "Back Street."

Ross Hunter always gives his leading ladies great support with his favorite familiar faces. Though she’s the same age as Hayward, Virginia Grey plays Susie’s big sister in Back Street. Ross called Grey his “good luck charm,” and she appeared in many Hunter productions. One of MGM’s most beautiful starlets, Virginia never got to the next level, and I don’t know why. I will say, by the ‘50s, Grey’s bone thin appearance and heavy makeup made her appear much older. Note the scene where Virginia’s reading/writing letters to sister Susie, and her eyelashes look like awnings!

John Gavin & Susan Hayward have a most discreet moonlit dip in "Back Street."

John Gavin confirmed what seemed apparent in Imitation of Life. The “next Rock Hudson,” while pleasant enough in the lighter or romantic scenes, turned to stone in dramatic moments. As Paul’s life hits the crisis stage, with a crazy wife, Gavin goes deadpan. While Rock Hudson was no Brando in the emotional department, Hudson grew into a warm leading man. I’ve read that Gavin was resistant to appearing shirtless and uneasy in love scenes. Perhaps Gavin didn’t want the “Baron of Beefcake” label that Rock Hudson had to live down, or perhaps he was just inhibited. He certainly seemed that way emotionally too, on screen.

Director David Miller was no Douglas Sirk, but he does borrow his reflective imagery.

Other Hunter favorites are Charles Drake as Mr. Nice Guy who wants to marry Susie’s Rae, but she falls head over heels for a married stranger! Reginald Gardiner is her “acerbic” designer boss. Natalie Schafer plays a gossipy client. Hayden Rorke is a big client of Rae’s. They all play their parts well, within the stereotypes of this soap.

But it’s Vera Miles who gets to bust out and let loose in Back Street. As Liz Saxon, Vera gets to snap, snarl, screech, and wreak havoc as Gavin’s virago of a wife. Liz is a lush and also adulterous, too, but makes it clear that she’s in it for the long haul, and doesn’t want to be another ex-wife with a payout. A cardinal sin in any mid-century soap is a mother who hardly notices her children. And though she seems to play fast and loose herself, the minute she finds out that Paul is seeking comfort elsewhere, Liz is on the warpath. This gives Vera several big moments, sparring with her unhappy hubby, and later, Rae herself. After her drab role as Janet Leigh’s sister in Psycho, Miles makes the most of her flashy role.

Vera Miles, as John Gavin's drunken wife in "Back Street," is ready to rumble!

Back Street’s ending seems like a dead end to me, and probably seemed so in its day. But that finale, with Rae’s comfort derived from nobly sacrificing, was standard studio-era Hollywood, which was swiftly coming to an end. Hunter found that out later when the sentiments of Madame X didn’t make the grade

Today, Back Street can be viewed as “feel sad” fun or camp, or both. Either way, this movie is an exercise in mid-century Hollywood style.

Back Street fans! This movie finally comes out on Blu-Ray on 8/10/21.

For more: https://www.kinolorber.com/product/back-street-blu-ray

Like I said, "Back Street" is Susan Hayward's vehicle all the way!

Here’s my take on Susan Hayward’s further descent into swanky soap operas, Where Love Has Gone:

https://ricksrealreel.blogspot.com/2020/08/where-love-has-gone-1964.html

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