"Bachelor Mother" is a very good, light comedy-romance. The setting is a familiar one for comedies and dramas of the early to mid-20th century. Working people in department stores try to keep their heads above water, while hoping for a break or something better down the line. The store owners are of the upper crust and live in a whole world away from these folks. But, dreams are fulfilled in the Hollywood versions where working girl meets boy – usually the son of the owner.
Such is the case in this movie. But this one has a different and uncommon twist. It brings another social issue into play – the raising of children given up by single mothers or poor, who drop their babies off at children's homes or public places (police, fire stations, libraries, etc.). It provides for a different, warm-hearted, gentle comedy that leads to romance. But in this film, the working girl heroine, Polly Parrish, is not a mother who drops off her baby, but someone who comes across another woman leaving a baby. Much of the humor is in the foundling home people "knowing" that she is the mother, because all other deny that the baby is theirs as well.
All of this leads to much fun as the department store keeps Polly on after the Christmas holiday rush for which she had been hired, and then one things lead to another. It's a nice story with a good cast. David Niven is department store owner's son, David Merlin. Charles Coburn is the patriarch who wants his son to settle down and start a family. That, translated, means giving him a grandchild or more for heirs.
One of the funniest segments is David Merlin's visit to Polly at home when she's feeding the baby. He has bought the latest expert advice book for her – on raising children, and insists that she pay attention to the proper way to feed a baby. The dialog, with his reading from the book, is so dumb that it's funny. See the IMDb Quotes section on the film Web page here for that dialog.
The plot is different enough to keep one's interest. The screenplay is simple. It's a nice story with some funny segments.
Such is the case in this movie. But this one has a different and uncommon twist. It brings another social issue into play – the raising of children given up by single mothers or poor, who drop their babies off at children's homes or public places (police, fire stations, libraries, etc.). It provides for a different, warm-hearted, gentle comedy that leads to romance. But in this film, the working girl heroine, Polly Parrish, is not a mother who drops off her baby, but someone who comes across another woman leaving a baby. Much of the humor is in the foundling home people "knowing" that she is the mother, because all other deny that the baby is theirs as well.
All of this leads to much fun as the department store keeps Polly on after the Christmas holiday rush for which she had been hired, and then one things lead to another. It's a nice story with a good cast. David Niven is department store owner's son, David Merlin. Charles Coburn is the patriarch who wants his son to settle down and start a family. That, translated, means giving him a grandchild or more for heirs.
One of the funniest segments is David Merlin's visit to Polly at home when she's feeding the baby. He has bought the latest expert advice book for her – on raising children, and insists that she pay attention to the proper way to feed a baby. The dialog, with his reading from the book, is so dumb that it's funny. See the IMDb Quotes section on the film Web page here for that dialog.
The plot is different enough to keep one's interest. The screenplay is simple. It's a nice story with some funny segments.