This is one of those movies that leaves an impression on you that remains long after you've watched it, particularly the final scene (which I won't reveal). There are some things (like images of tiny souls waiting to be born, and some sent back to Heaven, that might be found too cheesy for modern viewers, but it's the meaning behind it that counts.
Some people see this as an anti-abortion film, I saw it as a pro-birth control one. Unfortunately, in can also be seen as promoting eugenics, with its message of how only the right people should be breeding, giving the distinct impression that the meaning of this goes beyond the financial and personal circumstances.
I couldn't help thinking of all the upper-class, married, self-centered society women who got away with terminating their pregnancies without any trouble, whereas the lower-class, single, good natured housekeeper's daughter, seduced by the rakish brother of the (anti)heroine, suffers complications from the abortion she's coerced into and then dies. It's as if those other ladies (and I use that term loosely) are thought to be of more value, despite their behavior. Also, society tended to be less forgiving of a young woman's loss of innocence than a married woman's lack of morals.
It's the girl's death that brings about the hero's (Tyrone Power's dad, whom I didn't know also acted in movies, thinking he just performed on stage, but I digress) accusations against the doctor who performed all these abortions, leading to a court case, where he learns the real reason why he and his wife don't have any children. Sad to say, her comeuppance only adds to his misery.
If you're looking for a happy ending, you won't find it here.
Some people see this as an anti-abortion film, I saw it as a pro-birth control one. Unfortunately, in can also be seen as promoting eugenics, with its message of how only the right people should be breeding, giving the distinct impression that the meaning of this goes beyond the financial and personal circumstances.
I couldn't help thinking of all the upper-class, married, self-centered society women who got away with terminating their pregnancies without any trouble, whereas the lower-class, single, good natured housekeeper's daughter, seduced by the rakish brother of the (anti)heroine, suffers complications from the abortion she's coerced into and then dies. It's as if those other ladies (and I use that term loosely) are thought to be of more value, despite their behavior. Also, society tended to be less forgiving of a young woman's loss of innocence than a married woman's lack of morals.
It's the girl's death that brings about the hero's (Tyrone Power's dad, whom I didn't know also acted in movies, thinking he just performed on stage, but I digress) accusations against the doctor who performed all these abortions, leading to a court case, where he learns the real reason why he and his wife don't have any children. Sad to say, her comeuppance only adds to his misery.
If you're looking for a happy ending, you won't find it here.