My Bill

I was pleasantly surprised by how much I liked this movie. I hadn't intended on watching it but the TV was on while I was surfing the Internet and I found myself paying more attention to the movie instead of the computer.

Dickie Moore (qv) and the lovely Kay Francis (qv) make a pretty tough mother-son duo. They need to be tough when it comes to dealing with the other members of their family.

At a little over an hour in length, My Bill is easily worth you time. Heck, it's better than most hour long TV shows, and if you catch it on one of the classic movie channels you won't have to sit through any commercials!

I was unfamiliar with Kay Francis' work before My Bill but it didn't take long for me to become a fan. And for what it's worth, I love her speaking voice!

A surprisingly effective programmer (however, Hattie McDaniel is >not< in the movie! It's Bernice Pilot). Performances all around are excellent, and the drama that plays out is still something that can move modern audiences if they give it a chance.

I recently had the opportunity to see this film on TCM. What a wonderful film. Kay Francis was a very underrated actress. She can portray any type of character, and in this film she portrays a mother at the end of her rope trying to raise four children alone. Her youngest son, Bill adores his mother and even calls her 'sweetheart'. The relationship between the mother and children is very interesting and in some instances is still very contemporary. This premise might seem corny by todays standards, but that does not make the film any less effective. It is a heart warming film, and makes you feel good when it ends. There aren't many films of today that leave you totally satisfied from beginning to end, but this film fulfilled that! If you have the chance to see this, please do... you won't regret it!

Based on Tom Barry's play, a widow (played by Kay Francis) runs out of money, and her three children abandon her. This drama explores the financial difficulties facing a family in the Depression and the fine character of the youngest, Bill. On a personal note, I enjoyed this film very much, in particular the performance by Dickie Moore as young 'Bill'. In fact, Moore's Bill had more charm and raw human emotion in his little finger than Mickey Rooney in the entire series of Andy Hardy films. In my opinion, that little guy (Bill) was pure heart, and took me back to the Jackie-Coogan character in Chaplin's 'The Kid'. In many respects, at 13 years old, Moore pretty much carried this film.

Overall, the supporting cast was rather bland, i.e. the three brats and the banker. Kay Francis plays the typically concerned mom. Ending was a bit too quick-paced, and much too optimistic --- although I highly enjoyed Bill and his mother, a.k.a "Sweetheart", finally kicking their evil Aunt Caroline out the door, i.e. "...that dog-faced buffoon!!...SCRAM!"

A slightly predictable ending, however all together satisfying picture providing some strong family values.

This is a very nice movie and is thoroughly enjoyable. For the time period, it delicately handles some pretty touchy subjects without being maudlin. Implausible? Maybe, but just what the doctor ordered for blue day.