Though made in 1940, PRIMROSE PATH has the distinct feeling of a pre-Code movie. Living in the slums of what seems to be Monterrey, a poor family survives by way of prostitution. The grandmother (Queenie Vassar), a nasty, crusty old soul, is long past that life but seems to remember it well and with no apologies to anyone. The mother (Marjorie Rambeau) is the active member, aided by her friend Thelma, a high class call girl rather than a street hooker, but the mother, basically kind and generous, is herself getting very long in the tooth for this sort of thing. On deck is a girl of about seventeen (Ginger Rogers) for whom grandma has high hopes, or one might say low hopes, of continuing the family tradition, but Ellie May seems resistant to the idea and shields herself by acting and dressing younger than she is, i.e., prepubescent. There are also a younger daughter, too young to fully understand what is going on but enthusiastically taking grandma as a role model, and a hopelessly drunk father, college-educated but only the more pathetic for it.
They'd make a reality show out of the Adams family today! PRIMROSE PATH is the story of Ellie May's attempt to escape from the trap life has set her by way of a gas station/restaurant owner (Joel McCrea). Ellie is quick-witted and likable, but scrupulous honesty is not one of her virtues. Big Ed (McCrea) is also likable, as well as hard-working and generous, and it must be said, extremely gullible. It's a match made half in heaven and half in hell.
In the opening scene, Ellie's father practically begs his daughter to leave her home while there's still time. Her demeanor is already one of quiet depression. She seems consciously to have been avoiding growing up, particularly as boys are concerned. She now meets Ed, and after considerable back-and-forth banter receives her first kiss. She's not so honest that she defers from lifting Ed's wallet when the opportunity presents itself, but she doesn't want him to really get into trouble, either, so she gives it back to prevent his being arrested. He accepts her lame story as to how she'd gotten his wallet without question. Ed rarely questions anything that he's told by others.
This puts ideas into Ellie's mind. She decides to dress up as a 'lady' and go to Ed at the Bluebell Cafe. She finds her mother positively encouraging her to go to this man. Now both parents have essentially told her to get out while she can. In a very complicated scene on the docks, Ellie 'seduces' Ed. She tells him that her parents have thrown her out because she liked him. Naturally, he's nonplussed. When she asks him to take her with him, Ed replies that he's not ready for marriage yet. The word 'marriage' seems to jolt Ellie, who probably hasn't been thinking in terms of such an honorable estate. She turns very sincere for a few moments (with a subtle use of the musical score to underline the change), but as Ed remains resistant, Ellie turns to a reenactment of some melodramatic scene that she'd likely seen in some B- movie. Ellie prepares to jump off the pier, then faints dead away into Ed's arms when he stops her. Next scene is a few weeks later,and they're married!
We'll learn much later that the two haven't had a proper honeymoon, but it's clear already that their wedding night had gone just fine. It's the paradise of young love, but this love is based on lies, and all that is going to have to be resolved for the movie to end happily. Cinderella's godmother will turn out to be one 'Mr. Hawkins', and La Cava has prepared for his ending more carefully than is often allowed:
We first hear of him when Mamie returns home and laughs that one 'Mr. Hawkins' had actually wanted to marry her! "He's a card," Mamie and her mother agree, and on Mamie's part it's with some affection;
A passing remark tells us that Mr. Hawkins has actually paid for Mamie's funeral, an indication of sincerity if there ever was one;
So when Thelma was looking to break Ellie May into the business, she no doubt wanted it to be with a client who was a nice fellow. And it would be rather fitting that someone who had, in his way, loved Mamie Adams would also be the man to do Mamie's daughter this favor (by Thelma's lights, anyway). So Thelma set up Ellie May with a 'Mr. Smith' who was actually Mr. Hawkins, and doubtlessly used a false name for Ellie as well. So Mr. Hawkins didn't know who he was with until Ed talked to him in the Bluebell, with Ellie's husband showing considerable remorse about the whole affair. That Mr. Hawkins would now try to do what's best for Mamie's daughter goes without saying. The happy ending to PRIMROSE PATH has been, I think, very logically prepared.
The movie expresses enormous compassion for its humble characters. Beyond La Cava's efforts, we have universally strong performances from its cast members, perhaps most flashily from Queenie Vassar and Oscar nominee Marjorie Rambeau, but the heart of the film are Joel McCrea, showing more emotional pain than usual, and especially Ginger Rogers in what is, I think, her finest dramatic effort. Her character passes from pseudo-childishness to emotional maturity to threatened spiritual callousness, and Ginger makes it seem natural all the way. Innocence and dishonesty is not an easy combination to pull off, but it is an interesting one. I'm not the first to believe that PRIMROSE PATH had a lot to do with her subsequent Academy Award.
They'd make a reality show out of the Adams family today! PRIMROSE PATH is the story of Ellie May's attempt to escape from the trap life has set her by way of a gas station/restaurant owner (Joel McCrea). Ellie is quick-witted and likable, but scrupulous honesty is not one of her virtues. Big Ed (McCrea) is also likable, as well as hard-working and generous, and it must be said, extremely gullible. It's a match made half in heaven and half in hell.
In the opening scene, Ellie's father practically begs his daughter to leave her home while there's still time. Her demeanor is already one of quiet depression. She seems consciously to have been avoiding growing up, particularly as boys are concerned. She now meets Ed, and after considerable back-and-forth banter receives her first kiss. She's not so honest that she defers from lifting Ed's wallet when the opportunity presents itself, but she doesn't want him to really get into trouble, either, so she gives it back to prevent his being arrested. He accepts her lame story as to how she'd gotten his wallet without question. Ed rarely questions anything that he's told by others.
This puts ideas into Ellie's mind. She decides to dress up as a 'lady' and go to Ed at the Bluebell Cafe. She finds her mother positively encouraging her to go to this man. Now both parents have essentially told her to get out while she can. In a very complicated scene on the docks, Ellie 'seduces' Ed. She tells him that her parents have thrown her out because she liked him. Naturally, he's nonplussed. When she asks him to take her with him, Ed replies that he's not ready for marriage yet. The word 'marriage' seems to jolt Ellie, who probably hasn't been thinking in terms of such an honorable estate. She turns very sincere for a few moments (with a subtle use of the musical score to underline the change), but as Ed remains resistant, Ellie turns to a reenactment of some melodramatic scene that she'd likely seen in some B- movie. Ellie prepares to jump off the pier, then faints dead away into Ed's arms when he stops her. Next scene is a few weeks later,and they're married!
We'll learn much later that the two haven't had a proper honeymoon, but it's clear already that their wedding night had gone just fine. It's the paradise of young love, but this love is based on lies, and all that is going to have to be resolved for the movie to end happily. Cinderella's godmother will turn out to be one 'Mr. Hawkins', and La Cava has prepared for his ending more carefully than is often allowed:
We first hear of him when Mamie returns home and laughs that one 'Mr. Hawkins' had actually wanted to marry her! "He's a card," Mamie and her mother agree, and on Mamie's part it's with some affection;
A passing remark tells us that Mr. Hawkins has actually paid for Mamie's funeral, an indication of sincerity if there ever was one;
So when Thelma was looking to break Ellie May into the business, she no doubt wanted it to be with a client who was a nice fellow. And it would be rather fitting that someone who had, in his way, loved Mamie Adams would also be the man to do Mamie's daughter this favor (by Thelma's lights, anyway). So Thelma set up Ellie May with a 'Mr. Smith' who was actually Mr. Hawkins, and doubtlessly used a false name for Ellie as well. So Mr. Hawkins didn't know who he was with until Ed talked to him in the Bluebell, with Ellie's husband showing considerable remorse about the whole affair. That Mr. Hawkins would now try to do what's best for Mamie's daughter goes without saying. The happy ending to PRIMROSE PATH has been, I think, very logically prepared.
The movie expresses enormous compassion for its humble characters. Beyond La Cava's efforts, we have universally strong performances from its cast members, perhaps most flashily from Queenie Vassar and Oscar nominee Marjorie Rambeau, but the heart of the film are Joel McCrea, showing more emotional pain than usual, and especially Ginger Rogers in what is, I think, her finest dramatic effort. Her character passes from pseudo-childishness to emotional maturity to threatened spiritual callousness, and Ginger makes it seem natural all the way. Innocence and dishonesty is not an easy combination to pull off, but it is an interesting one. I'm not the first to believe that PRIMROSE PATH had a lot to do with her subsequent Academy Award.