The First Time

Robert Cummings and Barbara Hale star in "The First Time," a 1952 comedy directed by Frank Tashin.

The story concerns a couple, Joe and Betsy Bennet, preparing for, and finally having, their first child. As they soon learn, it's not paradise - intefering mothers in-laws, a strict nurse, sleepless nights, new expenses, and lots of bills. On top of which - since this is the unenlightened 1950s - Joe expects his wife to take care of the house and look good when he comes home and wants his dinner.

Joe is an architect who has taken a job selling washing machines - and not particuolarly good ones - for his father. He hates it, and he isn't succesful.

On their first night out, Joe goes to pick up a babysitter, waiting at a bus stop, and winds up with a hooker instead.

Humorous and somewhat realistic film for the time, narrated by the darling baby - we know the parents were adjust, and we also know it's slow-going at first. Today the dads help a little more.

A hilarious, original, and beautiful domestic comedy. The plot is pretty bare-bones: a married couple has a baby, and we spend the first year following their good times and hardships. They live the 1950s ideal marriage, or at least that's how they'd like to appear. Joe, the husband (Robert Cummings), is forced to quit his great but low-paying job as an architect when they can't afford a professional nanny to help his wife, Betsey (Barbara Hale), learn exactly how to take care of their son. Instead, he has to beg his father for a thankless job as a door-to-door washing machine salesman (and to boot the washing machines are crap!). Joe's work is hellish, and it puts a strain on his relationship with Betsey. When he gets home from work, he wants to expect what every respectable 1950s husband has: a hot meal and a pretty wife who's prepared it. He doesn't get what he wants, of course, and, after a big fight, Betsey gets back at him by wearing a sexy negligée, preparing his hot dinner perfectly, pouring him a tall glass of beer, and stuffing his pipe full. Sounds good, but she fills his beer glass too full, throws him down onto the couch (without spilling his beer, amazingly), overstuffs his pipe, and gives him dinner on a silver platter, setting it on his knees as he lays on the couch, his hand busy guarding his beer. When she devilishly asks him if this is how he'd like it, his mouth full of pipe stem, he nods giddily. He's too oblivious to realize that she's being sarcastic, and only realizes what she was doing when she runs away crying. Every aspect of the film is masterfully written and directed. It's worthy of Preston Sturges, the equal of many of his films. And like Sturges' films, it manages to be both hilarious and emotionally touching. The film is narrated by their son from an unspecified later date, which is quite cute. When I came to IMDb to rate it and comment on it, I was utterly shocked to see that it had not even received five votes. This is easily the best film that I've seen with that sorry distinction. 10/10.

Uninventive vehicle with Robert Cummings who plays the tired father who has tons of baby bills to pay. The couple's life revolves around all of the troubles that involve a new baby, such as lack of sleep, feeding times, etc etc. But- although the film revolves around a baby, an hour into the film: WHERE IS THE BABY?

The viewers aren't even treated to see the new baby after its born! Where was it?? Isn't the most important aspect of this movie the baby?? Even as the mother recovers in the hospital after just giving birth, there was no mother and baby introduction (????!). When mother and father finally leave the hospital, the mother leaves with a bundled up wad of blankets- we are supposed to imagine there is a baby in there. After parents arrive back at home, we can hear "baby cries"- movie sound effects- but no baby is ever shown. The actors playing the grandmothers, the new nanny, all apparently are peering into an empty bassinet. Un-freakin-believable.

An hour into waiting for the baby to be shown, I never did see ANY baby. Only baby crying sound effects, wadded up blankets, not even a baby foot. No baby. Got so angry I turned the stupid movie off. No laughs, no great dialogue, just a bunch of used up jokes about how much a baby costs.

Wasted a good hour waiting for a non-existent "baby".

BOOOOOO!

A nice commedy around a baby , giving occasion to Robert Cummings to expose his smile, his soles, being the good guy next door , honest and friendly, who in moment of too high honesty is fired and beautiful Barbara Hale in a role reminding the performances of Rosalind Rusell. But , sure, nice and amusing, ironic and charming in few moments - the contribution of Cora Whiterspoon is just precious - . So, just nice, the recipe being far to can be an original one.

Without going over the plot again, the other reviewers have covered that adequately, I'd just like to say that any comedy with Robert Cummings in the lead is worth a look, as in my opinion he was in the top 5 of all screen comedy actors, along with the likes of Grant, MacMurray,Niven etc. A fine dramatic actor also, but comedy was his forte! 'The First Time' was made around the time Cummings moved into television, and along with another film he made around that time called 'Marry Me Again', has been largely forgotten, which is a pity, as they are both very funny films, and far more deserving of a new life on DVD, than many that have been granted that status! If you get a chance to see it, or, can find a 'bootleg' copy, as I did, you won't be disappointed!