I have to give director Ida Lupino quite bit of credit for the way in which she handled what some directors might have made very sensationalistic. Instead, she directs this with restraint, seemingly saying that normal people do things that are not necessarily accepted...it just happens.
The cast does a fine job here. Edmond O'Brien comes across as a sort of "every man", as the traveling salesman who has 2 wives. Joan Fontaine is wife #1, and she and O'Brien are trying to adopt a child. Along comes Edmund Gwenn, as the head of the adoption agency, who has a hunch something is wrong, and discovers the bigamy. Gwenn had the ability to play both heavies and beloved figures...here, it's sort of in-between as he refuses to make another mistake in assigning a child; he's very good here, as he discovers wife #2 -- Ida Lupino, who seems very real and likable, despite the situation. The wonderful Jane Darwell has a minor part as a custodian. Interstingly, Lillian Fontaine -- mother of Joan Fontaine and Olivia DeHavilland -- has a small part as the owner of a boarding house.
Ida Lupino, who directed, certainly did have a subtle sense of humor. Early on in the film, Joan Fontaine referred to Edmund Gwenn's character as seeming like Santa Claus (and as you may remember, he indeed did play Santa Claus in "Miracle On 34th Street" six years earlier. And during the bus tour, they show the houses of (among others) Jack Benny, Jimmy Stewart...and Edmund Gwenn! A negative about this film probably has to do with...well, the negative. This film was produced by the production company that Ida Lupino and her husband (Collier Young) formed. Their budgets were thin, but the topics dealt with popular social issues. Lupino herself directed all 6 films made by The Filmmakers company. The films were distributed by RKO. The company folded after this film. The print used on TCM for this (and several of the other The Filmmakers films) is not in particularly good condition. I imagine that is because the negatives/prints were not kept to the higher standards of the large studios. It's not uncomfortable to watch, but in some spots the quality of the negative is a little distracting.
I wasn't totally pleased with the ending of the film. What happens to each of them...particularly the women...and children. And who does he come back to after prison? If anyone. Too many loose ends to be totally satisfying, but nevertheless, a well done film.
The cast does a fine job here. Edmond O'Brien comes across as a sort of "every man", as the traveling salesman who has 2 wives. Joan Fontaine is wife #1, and she and O'Brien are trying to adopt a child. Along comes Edmund Gwenn, as the head of the adoption agency, who has a hunch something is wrong, and discovers the bigamy. Gwenn had the ability to play both heavies and beloved figures...here, it's sort of in-between as he refuses to make another mistake in assigning a child; he's very good here, as he discovers wife #2 -- Ida Lupino, who seems very real and likable, despite the situation. The wonderful Jane Darwell has a minor part as a custodian. Interstingly, Lillian Fontaine -- mother of Joan Fontaine and Olivia DeHavilland -- has a small part as the owner of a boarding house.
Ida Lupino, who directed, certainly did have a subtle sense of humor. Early on in the film, Joan Fontaine referred to Edmund Gwenn's character as seeming like Santa Claus (and as you may remember, he indeed did play Santa Claus in "Miracle On 34th Street" six years earlier. And during the bus tour, they show the houses of (among others) Jack Benny, Jimmy Stewart...and Edmund Gwenn! A negative about this film probably has to do with...well, the negative. This film was produced by the production company that Ida Lupino and her husband (Collier Young) formed. Their budgets were thin, but the topics dealt with popular social issues. Lupino herself directed all 6 films made by The Filmmakers company. The films were distributed by RKO. The company folded after this film. The print used on TCM for this (and several of the other The Filmmakers films) is not in particularly good condition. I imagine that is because the negatives/prints were not kept to the higher standards of the large studios. It's not uncomfortable to watch, but in some spots the quality of the negative is a little distracting.
I wasn't totally pleased with the ending of the film. What happens to each of them...particularly the women...and children. And who does he come back to after prison? If anyone. Too many loose ends to be totally satisfying, but nevertheless, a well done film.