Bachelor Mother **** (1939, Ginger Rogers, David Niven, Charles Coburn, E E Clive) – Classic Movie Review 6465

Director Garson Kanin’s beguiling 1939 comedy stars Ginger Rogers as the shopgirl Polly Parrish and David Niven as David Merlin, the son of the department store owner (Charles Coburn). The two are assumed to be the parents when they befriend an abandoned baby (Elbert Coplen Jr), leading to troubles and possibly scandal.

Norman Krasna’s inventive, constantly evolving screenplay is clever and spicy for its day. The movie is still charming and funny thanks to the witty dialogue, deft direction and cute comic playing.

Also in the cast are Frank Albertson, E E Clive, Ernest Truex, Ferike Boros, Leonard Penn, Paul Stanton, Frank M Thomas, Edna Holland, Dennie Moore and June Wilkins.

It is shot in black and white by Robert de Grasse, produced by Pandro S Berman and Buddy G DeSylva and scored by Roy Webb.

If this RKO film seems familiar, it might be because it was once a TV regular, but also because Felix Jackson [Felix Joachimson]’s Oscar nominated original source story was first filmed by Universal as Kleine Mutti [Little Mother] in 1935 and was remade in 1956 as Bundle of Joy.

© Derek Winnert 2017 Classic Movie Review 6465

Check out more reviews on http://derekwinnert.com