bonney

The most interesting thing about this movie is that someone deemed it valuable enough to put on video. Strictly a B-movie - you have to wonder what Ethel Barrymore is doing in this clunker. It was a bit like a stage play in that the entire action took place in one evening with the characters saying "Helen, I need a word with you in the den, or upstairs, or whatever". The Doctor seemed to go from professional interest in Helen, to marriage in just a few lines of dialogue. Lets just say it wasn't MGM.

I kept fast forwarding to get to the good part (like a plot) but soon realized there was no good part - just lots of color and noise. Marilyn Monroe sang "diamonds are a girl's best friend" much better; MGM made much better musicals in the '50's; Verdi and Puccini wrote operas that made you cry over the courtesan with a heart of gold dying of TB who finally meets her true love; and Monmartre at the turn of the century was probably a lot more interesting than this glitzy mess.

I found this movie totally lacking in real emotional feeling or maybe just the kind of writing and plotting which produces dramatic tension. For example, first the Mom goes against the Fathers' wishes and gets Skip, then the father tells Willie at the birthday party that he can't have Skip, then the Mom goes to the front porch, takes the fathers cigar out of his mouth and puts it in hers and gives the dog back to the boy. The script seemed full of plot lines which went no-where. Compare this to a classic like "Lassie" or the "Yearling" or for childhood experiences - "To Kill a Mocking Bird" and you'll see what I mean.