Mademoiselle et son bébé

Having seen most of GR's movies (both solo & with Fred Astaire), I must admit that I much prefer her "solo" (as opposed to merely a "dancing partner") & "Bachelor Mother" is, without a doubt, her funniest film!

There are many great comedic "bits" in this film -- her pretending not to speak English at a New Year's Eve party, the dancehall sequence, David Niven's run-in with a toy "Donald Duck" (and many more), that make this film an absolute JOY!

The only other GR film that comes close to it is "Vivacious Lady". Both of these are "Must See"! -- And, try not to laff so hard!

Ginger Rogers is young, single, and unemployed when, as the result of doing a good deed, she gets stuck with a baby in "Bachelor Mother," a 1939 film also starring David Niven and Charles Coburn.

Rogers plays Polly Parrish, who on her way home from her last day at the department store she worked for over Christmas, sees an old woman leaving a baby on the steps of an orphanage. Fearful the child will fall down the steps, she is kneeling over him when someone from the orphanage opens the door and mistakes Rogers for the baby's mother. Polly gives the place her name and place of employment before she realizes they think she's the mother. When she runs away and leaves the baby, the orphanage gets busy contacting her employer. She gets the baby and her job back, plus a raise. No one will listen to her, so she gives in and makes up a story. Complications arise with a date who wants to move up in the store to floorwalker and believes the son of the owner (David Niven) is the baby's father. Eventually the store's irascible owner (Coburn) thinks Polly has given birth to his grandchild and insists that his son marry her.

This is a charming little film with wonderful performances. Niven in that stuffed shirt way of his is very elegant and likable, Coburn is great as his demanding father who breaks down and cries as he holds the baby. "I'd know that chin anywhere," he sobs. Rogers is fantastic. She looks gorgeous and even has a chance to dance without Fred around.

Highly recommended. Wonderful entertainment.

For some reason that completely baffles me, TCM rarely broadcasts this wonderful, romantic comedy of errors, but frequently shows the lame musical remake, Bundle of Joy. Which cast would you rather watch - Debbie Reynolds, Eddie Fisher and Adolphe Menjou, or Ginger Rogers, David Niven and Charles Coburn? For me, every member of the cast in this original version is far better than his/her counterpart in the remake. The original cast delivers a film with risqué overtones (with a wink to the Hays Office), while Reynolds and (especially) Fisher turn the remake into 1950's milk and cookies.

In Bachelor Mother a beautiful, young Ginger Rogers is at her peak. She portrays a wonderfully sympathetic character. She is strong and feminine; exasperated yet determined. David Niven delivers perfectly as a somewhat spoiled, sophisticated and yet befuddled scion of a wealthy department store magnate. And I always love to see Charles Coburn - in top form here as the blustery, but good-hearted department store magnate who desperately wants a grandson.

I like Debbie Reynolds fine, but Debbie doesn't deliver as nuanced a performance as Ginger Rogers. Eddie Fisher as an actor - No Way! The only time he is not completely painful to watch is in Butterfield 8 - where, incidentally, he doesn't sing. Adolphe Menjou is okay.

I get angry at TCM for showing the remake more frequently than this delightful original. I get angrier still that some Hollywood boob thought it would be a good idea to remake Bachelor Mother, filling it with some lame songs that only serve to interrupt the flow of the story.

For a terrific romantic comedy, accept no substitutes: check out Bachelor Mother. And tell TCM which film you prefer. Maybe it will start showing this film more often.

This is a romantic comedy in the fullest sense of both terms. it is both hilariously funny and touchingly romantic (in the old-fashion boy sweeps girl off her feet even though she can give as good as she gets kind of way).

I totally loved the New Year Party scene, and the complications with the other boyfriend were great fun. And Donald Duck has a small but key role to play in this story.

Obviously some of the social attitudes are a bit hackneyed today, but the character personalities certainly shine through brilliantly still.

Bachelor Mother finds Ginger Rogers as a shopgirl working for the large department store that Charles Coburn owns. When she's let go at Christmas time she's going to have to worry where the next meal for her is coming. No position to be taking on dependents.

Which is why when she finds a baby left on her doorstep she takes it to a foundling home where everyone assumes it's her's. When she tells her story about being let go, they're moved to do something about it. She gets her job back with a raise, but Ginger's a most unwilling mother.

Of course the speculation gets going as to who the dad is and the playboy son of Charles Coburn seems a real likely possibility. Especially when you've got David Niven as the playboy.

Garson Kanin directed the Felix Jackson original story in the film that became Bachelor Mother. The original screenplay was nominated for an Oscar in that category, but lost to Mr. Smith Goes To Washington.

I saw the musical remake that RKO did 17 years later with Eddie Fisher and Debbie Reynolds and it was clear just how superior this film is to that one. Eddie was playing David Niven's part and while the man could sing, he hadn't a tenth of Niven's charm. To be perfectly fair though, there were few men as charming as David Niven, he carried more films on the strength of that charm than anyone else I can think of.

Ginger Rogers was doing a great variety of dramatic roles now at RKO in between her films with Fred Astaire. She was really kicking her career into high gear at this point and would win an Oscar next year for Kitty Foyle. Hard as she struggles in this film to convince everyone she's not the mother it gets easier to just go with the flow. When you see where the film is flowing you'll agree.

Bachelor Mother is a bright and witty comedy, not quite of the screwball variety, but still holding up quite well after more than 70 years.