MovieChat Forums > Back Street (1961) Discussion > why didn't....'

why didn't....'

posted 13 years ago by deliaw1946
3 replies | jump to latest

Two things. Why didn't rae follow him to New York on another flight? He had told the sister to tell rae he loved her, he'd work it out, things would be a mess. She went to New York, so she had the money for a ticket. Also, why didn't Paul just get a divorce? He certainly had grounds and the whole world knew of his wife's drinking, terrible mother. Why did he think his wife needed to "give him a divorce"? Did both parties have to agree back then. Of course, I realize the story depended on her not going after him right then, and the fact that he couldn't get a divorce, but this seems like obvious plot holes. Whatever, have loved this movie for many years and will continue to do so.

[–] Adler-99 9 years ago

Just saw this last night so thought I'd weigh in. As to why Rae didn't follow him to New York, I think she decided to call him first and that's when she found out he was married.

In those days of no "no-fault divorce," it would have been hard for Paul to get one because things had to be serious and blatant to prove a woman to be an unfit mother. Paul would have had to prove her drinking hurt the children or something like that, and I think she was careful enough to only drink alone or in social situations. Although.... I think it was hinted several times in the film that Liz had some boy toys on the side, so he could have hired a detective to get more dirt on her that way. But then, as you rightly point out, we wouldn't have had all the melodrama!

[–] BrockLong 9 years ago

I think it was stronger than "hinted" that the wife was unfaithful with other men. She basically told him that directly in one of their heated scenes.

The wife's infidelity would have been valid grounds for a fault-based divorce during that era. Paul struck me as either too weak or too concerned for his children's welfare to initiate what clearly would have been a very ugly divorce. Some dialogue about that would have shored up the plot.

[–] stevebob 9 years ago

If I'm not mistaken, Paul was flying home to Chicago. Rae subsequently went to New York to pursue her own ambitions as a designer, and she and Paul met there by accident.