Having seen two Anna Sten vehicles during her brief collaboration with Samuel Goldwyn, I've come to the conclusion that Sten's Hollywood sojourn was horribly mishandled. Sten herself is charming, particularly in comedic scenes. She was undeniably beautiful too. She does handle a few dramatic scenes awkwardly, though this could have been from discomfort in the English language.
The big problem is the films themselves. NANA and WE LIVE AGAIN are glossy, tame versions of 19th century novels. NANA in particular has a patchwork script, a case of parts being better than the whole. The best scenes involve Nana and her fellow ladies of the night interacting, or her misadventures in wooing foolish men. The moment the serious love plot rears its head, the movie clomps. Sten is also called upon to do her best Dietrich impression in the film's one musical number and it's okay-- but it's better to be a first rate version of yourself than a second rate Dietrich.
The big problem is the films themselves. NANA and WE LIVE AGAIN are glossy, tame versions of 19th century novels. NANA in particular has a patchwork script, a case of parts being better than the whole. The best scenes involve Nana and her fellow ladies of the night interacting, or her misadventures in wooing foolish men. The moment the serious love plot rears its head, the movie clomps. Sten is also called upon to do her best Dietrich impression in the film's one musical number and it's okay-- but it's better to be a first rate version of yourself than a second rate Dietrich.