Emma

I saw "Emma" as a child over 50 years ago. I only remembered three scenes in it and never knew the names of the stars or the name of the film, for that matter.

Thanks to IMDb, I was able to go on one of the message boards and find out the name of the film and that the star "who was a Marie Dressler type" as I recalled was indeed Marie Dressler (what instincts I had, even in childhood).

I was just able to actually see the film on TCM. I'd love to know why it is we remember certain phrases and scenes growing up - the parts I remembered in "Emma" were exactly as I recalled them.

"Emma" is the story of a housekeeper who cares for a motherless family, actually raising the youngest, Ronnie (Richard Cromwell) when his mother dies in childbirth. The entire family is very dependent upon her.

Mr. Smith (Jean Hersholt) over the years becomes very wealthy as an inventor, so his kids grow up in wealth and, with the exception of Ronnie, become horrific, ungrateful brats. Emma, of course, thinks they're wonderful and is blind to their faults.

When Emma leaves for her first vacation, Mr. Smith accompanies her to the station, buys an extra ticket for Niagara Falls and proposes. The two enjoy their time there, but it's to be their only time as man and wife.

Mr. Smith's chronically bad heart gives out, and he dies. All of his money is left to Emma with the proviso that she take care of the children, who would squander every cent unsupervised. The children (Myrna Loy, Kathryn Crawford and George Meeker) assume Emma is going to take all of the money for herself.

To break the will, they accuse her of murdering their father. Emma is put on trial for murder. Ronnie is away in the wilds of Canada and doesn't learn about this until the trial is underway.

This is such a sweet story, buoyed by the magnificent performance of Marie Dressler. What an actress! Warm, strong and honest, she pulls at your heart.

The very handsome Richard Cromwell, Angela Lansbury's first husband, is the adorable and adored Ronnie, and he gives an energetic performance.

Cromwell had an interesting life. Not only did he enjoy some years as an actor in A productions, but he was a successful artist his entire life. Eventually, he opened his own studio. After years out of films, he was scheduled to make one, but withdrew when he was diagnosed with cancer.

Jean Hersholt is excellent as Mr. Smith. Myrna Loy as one of the brat kids is absolutely stunning, though she doesn't have much to do except to act stuck-up.

Highly recommended. Any movie that can stay in your mind and heart for over 50 years has something going for it. Emma had several things, the best being Marie Dressler.

So few movies have a woman as the main protagonist, much less an older woman. Marie Dressler is wonderful, as usual, but the script helps a great deal, and the good, unpretentious direction. Old movies really have something special, a sense of compassion and humanity. Richard Cromwell makes a very good impression. It is sad that he lived only 50 years and was forgotten. One wishes Angela would reminisce about him. He had a very pleasant speaking voice. A voice is an instrument, and speech is music.

Hefty housekeeper Marie Dressler (as Emma) becomes the surrogate mother to a wealthy Long Island family, after their mother dies, giving birth to Richard Cromwell (as Ronnie). While helping her prepare for a well-deserved Niagara Falls vacation, family father Jean Hersholt (as Smith) startles Ms. Dressler by proposing marriage; and, the trip becomes a honeymoon. Back home, only Mr. Cromwell, Dressler's favorite "son", celebrates the marriage. The three other Smith children (George Meeker, Myrna Loy, and Barbara Kent) are furious; they feel the ailing Mr. Hersholt married a mere "servant", who will steal the family fortune.

This is Marie Dressler at her sentimental best; assisted by an apt MGM team, including Clarence Brown (director), Oliver Marsh (photographer), and Frances Marion (writer). Dressler won a "Best Actress" Academy Award" for a previous effort, "Min and Bill" (1930); however, her "Emma" is a stronger characterization. This more deserved "Best Actress" nomination became the Academy Awards' #2 choice for the 1931/32 eligibility period; in the voting, Dressler was just behind winner Helen Hayes (in "The Sin of Madelon Claudet"). Dressler should have won for "Emma", rather than "Min and Bill".

Richard Cromwell and Jean Hersholt might have been nominated as "Best Supporting Actors"; but, the category was not introduced until 1936 (Dressler would have likely won the 1929/30 award, in this category, for "Anna Christie"). Parts of "Emma" have not aged well, especially some of the early, yet important, scenes. But, its strengths make up for these weaknesses. Watch for the scene in which Dressler throws her ungrateful step-children out of the house. This is followed by a scene with Dressler being "haunted" by the "ghosts" of the little Smith children; it's an extraordinarily touching "special effect". And, it all works so well due to Dressler.

Dressler is unfairly called a "scene stealer"; most of the time, she was just very good. If you were good, you kept up with her. With material to work with, Dressler's co-stars are just as memorable. Note, how, in lesser roles, Cromwell and Hersholt compliment Dressler's "Emma" perfectly. Both Hersholt and Dressler play his "death scene" beautifully. And, Cromwell's one-word description of "Emma" is the film's most lingering. You won't forget it.

********* Emma (1/2/32) Clarence Brown ~ Marie Dressler, Richard Cromwell, Jean Hersholt, Myrna Loy

My only two criticisms is that it's a tad slow and yet there isn't enough screen time for Marie. If this film doesn't make you cry at the end- especially the bittersweet "gift" she receives- you are made of stone. Marie may be a tad hammy, but you believe her, none the less. I can see why she was a star.

Marie Dressler was a fine actress who deserves to be better known today, one of the few actors/actresses that had a career in silents that transitioned quite well into sound. 'Min and Bill' being a strong example of what was so great about her. Clarence Brown was a gifted director in my view, but was a director that had a very uneven filmography (with some very good films like 'Anna Karenina' and also some average at best ones). Love classic film and certainly have no bias against sentimental films.

1932's 'Emma' is certainly one of those sentimental films and is a pretty good one. It is an example of the lead performance being a good deal better than the film itself, but there is actually in my view a lot more to 'Emma' than just Dressler (although she is the best thing about it). It is not one of Brown's best pictures and there are better representations of the rest of the cast, but it is worth seeing to see one of the best performances of Dressler and deserves more credit.

'Emma' isn't perfect by all means. The pacing isn't always great, with some dull stretches from having some extraneous scenes that go on for too long without developing or progressing enough. It would have helped if the story wasn't as slight as it was.

Would have liked a lot more development to the characters, only Dressler's and Myrna Loy's are properly developed, the others are too one-dimensional and Richard Cromwell's is especially underwritten. Cromwell also seemed rather bland in his role, being just there with not enough feeling.

Dressler however is superb, she shows off sparkling comic timing, radiates class, has such an expressive nuanced face that always tells so much and also really touched my heart. Her character is interesting, worth relating to and develops beautifully. There is more to the film than just her in terms of merits, Jean Hersholt brings a good deal of colour to his too short screen time and a very young Loy is at her most hateable (was very surprised to see her in this way). Brown also directs with enough control and ease.

It looks good, with some lovely atmospheric photography and sumptuous art direction. The script avoids sinking into melodramatic and has humorous and poignant lines. The story has enough parts where it is charming and moving, with the standout being the real tear-jerker that is the ending (more like the last 10-15 minutes).

Concluding, worth seeing particularly for Dressler, but falls short of being a must see. 7/10.