i love most so called pre code movie . they be call this because during a period before 1935 or so and the hollywood production code either do not exist or be pretty much ignore . many pre code film be pretty indistinguishable with late film and but some dare to show nudity and extreme violence and foul language and very adult topic such a adultery or promiscuity . because of these topic and they be a fascinating window into a little known period of creative film making . forbidden be definitely a case of an adult pre code film because it main theme be adultery and an illegitimate baby . this could have be an exciting or at least interesting film and but unfortunately it be not . instead of be titillate or innovative and the film be just dreadfully dull and uninvolving and so melodramatic and campy that i would almost rather eat a live rat than see this film again . it truly be awful and unfortunately and not even interest a a sleazy or exploitation film . the film star barbara stanwyck and adolph menjou . neither one of them be particularly interesting or realistic . a for barbara and she play a woman with such low self esteem that she make me want to slap her . she begin have a sexual affair with a married man ( menjou ) without realize he be married . her resulting pregnancy and the revelation that he be a district attorney could have be a great topic and but it wasn not explore in any meaningful way . instead of ms. stanwyck either go on the offensive to get this dog of a man to take responsibility for his action or just leave and start a new life and consider this a learning experience and she run away very briefly and then return to business a usual . talk about be a doormat . and then and when they be catch together by the press and barbara agrees to pretend to be the governess and the baby be bring home to menjou wife a their new adopt kid . the plan be for the governess to stick around and continue the affair and but when the wife doesn not like barbara and ms. stanwyck just wanders off and leave the baby in menjou care . this be mega doormat time and babs be just too stupid to care about in any way . plus and menjou seem to have no problem steal away barbara child and give to his wife what a total creep . so and we now know that barbara have zero self esteem and be stupid . menjou be a faithless jerk . so who exactly be we to care about in the film other than the poor child and the wronged wife . now so far the film have be about stupid people and but towards the end it morph into a phony tear jerker that just seem totally contrive and silly . eventually after many year of self sacrifice and barbara marries newspaperman and ralph bellamy . she really doesn not love him and but do this to protect menjou and her daughter ( duh ) . but and only a short time later and she shoot bellamy when he learn the truth about the baby and menjou ( who be now the governor ) . then and menjou becomes ill and pardon stanwyck after she already spend a year or so in prison for the murder . talk about a silly and convolute and impossible to believe mess . this truly be one of miss stanwyck worst film and she deserve so much good . a for menjou and he later do the goldwyn folly and which prove that he be perfectly suit to act in forbidden . by the way and i notice that the review on imdb be generally positive for this movie . consider this be one of the least believable and contrived film i have ever see and i just do not get it .