Paula

If the script for PAULA hadn't become so maudlin in certain crying scenes, this might have emerged as more than a melodramatic soap opera.

LORETTA YOUNG is quietly competent in the leading role of a woman who develops a noble cause after a serious auto accident leaves TOMMY RETTIG unable to talk. This noble gesture of acting as his therapist and taking him under her wings is the sort of role that even Greer Garson might have had trouble making believable. But Miss Young does her best with an overly dramatic role as a long-suffering wife who cannot bear children of her own.

And others in the cast are quietly effective too, including KENT SMITH as the husband who learns that his new job means he has to avoid all scandal and Alexander KNOX as Paula's doctor friend who gives her the emotional support she needs.

It's an interesting premise, inspired somewhat by another film of this type--THE MAGNIFICENT OBSESSION about a man with a similar guilt complex after an accident.

But there is no real depth to the screenplay which seems more suitable for a one hour TV drama, the kind done so often in the '50s. The acting is better than the script deserves, especially by Miss Young who is coolly efficient in manner but gives the film some real warmth.

One night, Paula Rogers, with her car, accidently runs over little David, a 7-years old boy running away from the orphanage. The last thing David sees before fainting is the fancy necklace of Paula, who, after stopping her car, is leaning over him to get him first aid.

David, because of the accident, loses the power of speach, and he needs proper rehabilitation in order to speak again. Due to a series of circumstances, Paula doesn't tell the police, but is designated to be the speaking and spelling teacher for little David, whom she and her husband John guest in their house and intend to adopt.

All goes well for some times, but one day David sees again Paula wearing the fancy necklace of the night of the accident, recognizes her (so the film makes us believe) as his hit and run driver, and begins to hate her.

But, wait a minute: David hasn't seen (so the film showed us) the face of the driver who run over him, but only the face (and the necklace) of the first woman who came to his rescue. So it is simply not possible that he recognizes her. A little but important blunder, that casts a heavy weight upon a movie which - apart from that - is quite likeable (and I won't tell you how it develops).

Loretta Young loses her baby and is told in the hospital that she will never be able to have children. Dr. Alexander Knox, who was so brilliant in "Wilson" tells her this. She is married to college dean Kent Smith. The latter never had much sex appeal or appeal of a leading man in any of his pictures.

While driving to join Smith at a pre-promotional party for him, Young accidentally hits 7 year old Tommy Rettig of "Lassie" fame. Rettig, with those sad eyes of his, evoked a lot of emotion here as he is unable to recover from the accident.

Not admitting to the police that she did this, Young instead volunteers at the hospital and takes in the boy and suddenly becomes a speech pathologist. She is guided by Knox who suddenly is an expert in this field anyway.

Young and Rettig pull out emotional stops in this film. You may want to question the criminal justice system in the nonetheless happy ending.

Paula (1952)

** 1/2 (out of 4)

Interesting but too overly dramatic film about a wife (Loretta Young) who suffers her second miscarriage and is about to give up on life when another tragedy strikes. While speeding to a meeting, she runs over a seven year old boy who becomes deaf to the wreck. Another man takes the boy to the hospital so the police don't know who hit him but the woman feels so guilty that she adopts the boy so that she can try and teach him to speak again. However, the police are still on the hunt for who hit the boy and the boy eventually remembers who it was. This film could have been a lot better had they toned down the crying moments. By crying moments I mean that this is one of those films that tries to make you cry every five minutes, which becomes quite annoying after a while. The scene where Young learns she lost her second baby is heartbreaking but other moments don't come off as good. Young is very good in her role, which requires her to be a snob, a heartbroken mother and a woman trying to do what's right with both the child and the law. Kent Smith is also very good as her husband who at first doesn't want to take in a mute child. The film loses some steam in the final act as things turn very stupid during one scene where the man who drove the kid to the hospital shows up at Young's house and starts a fight. The ending is predictable but touching.

"Paula" is NOT a film for the cynical. After all, unless you are willing to see a schmaltzy film that will tug at your heart, the film probably won't be your sort of thing. However, if you do see it, be prepared--having a box of Kleenex handy wouldn't be a bad idea!

Loretta Young plays a woman who is struggling with her own infertility. While her life is otherwise great, she clearly misses not having a child of her own. How she gets one is the very strange twist in this story!

One night as she's driving, a child darts out and she accidentally hits him. In a panic, she drives away after she sees that the child is going to get medical help. Her conscience, however, cannot handle this-- she feels very guilty about the accident. So, she decides to volunteer at the hospital to see what she can learn about the boy. It turns out that he will survive but the injury left him brain damaged. While he looks pretty normal, he cannot speak and must re-learn this. But he's an orphan and it costs a lot of money to have a full-time teacher--and Young's character volunteers to take the boy into her home and teach him. But what if the boy or anyone figure out who she is and why she's doing all this?

This is a terrific family film. I loved the very original story as well as the performances by Young and Tommy Rettig (as the boy, David). A heart-warming yet exciting and well made movie--one of Young's best.