Paula

If the script for PAULA hadn't become so maudlin in certain crying scenes, this might have emerged as more than a melodramatic soap opera.

LORETTA YOUNG is quietly competent in the leading role of a woman who develops a noble cause after a serious auto accident leaves TOMMY RETTIG unable to talk. This noble gesture of acting as his therapist and taking him under her wings is the sort of role that even Greer Garson might have had trouble making believable. But Miss Young does her best with an overly dramatic role as a long-suffering wife who cannot bear children of her own.

And others in the cast are quietly effective too, including KENT SMITH as the husband who learns that his new job means he has to avoid all scandal and Alexander KNOX as Paula's doctor friend who gives her the emotional support she needs.

It's an interesting premise, inspired somewhat by another film of this type--THE MAGNIFICENT OBSESSION about a man with a similar guilt complex after an accident.

But there is no real depth to the screenplay which seems more suitable for a one hour TV drama, the kind done so often in the '50s. The acting is better than the script deserves, especially by Miss Young who is coolly efficient in manner but gives the film some real warmth.

Loretta Young stars as the wife of University professor Kent Smith. Life seems wonderful; however Ms. Young is told, after a second miscarriage, she can never have children. Later, she is speeding home, after some event, and hits a child with her car. A truck driver (also on the road) takes the boy, and leaves the desperate woman wondering what injuries she's caused.

"Paula" begins as a seemingly routine Loretta Young drama, but keep your eye on the picture for a grabber. The story becomes very interesting as circumstances make Young a dramatic hit-and-run driver. The story builds suspense in several ways -- beginning as Young searches for the boy she hit, while the police search for Young.

Although it's a great story, the script becomes more and more sentimental -- by the end, it's so maudlin you'll want to scream (if you're not crying). Tommy Rettig is notable as the boy; in fact, he is Young's co-star. Mr. Rettig also played one of Lassie's famous owners (Jeff). Young and Rettig do well, but they would be even better after a realistic script re-write. The film has some unexpected depth, and raises some interesting crime/punishment questions; perhaps, its flaws could be addressed in a modern re-make.

***** Paula (1952) Rudolph Maté ~ Loretta Young, Tommy Rettig, Kent Smith

One night, Paula Rogers, with her car, accidently runs over little David, a 7-years old boy running away from the orphanage. The last thing David sees before fainting is the fancy necklace of Paula, who, after stopping her car, is leaning over him to get him first aid.

David, because of the accident, loses the power of speach, and he needs proper rehabilitation in order to speak again. Due to a series of circumstances, Paula doesn't tell the police, but is designated to be the speaking and spelling teacher for little David, whom she and her husband John guest in their house and intend to adopt.

All goes well for some times, but one day David sees again Paula wearing the fancy necklace of the night of the accident, recognizes her (so the film makes us believe) as his hit and run driver, and begins to hate her.

But, wait a minute: David hasn't seen (so the film showed us) the face of the driver who run over him, but only the face (and the necklace) of the first woman who came to his rescue. So it is simply not possible that he recognizes her. A little but important blunder, that casts a heavy weight upon a movie which - apart from that - is quite likeable (and I won't tell you how it develops).

From 1952, Paula stars Loretta Young as a happily married woman who, after a second miscarriage, is told she can never give birth. She tries to put up a front for her husband (Kent Smith), but her doctor (Alexander Knox) encourages her not to. Her husband wants to adopt, but she isn't ready to discuss it.

One night, rushing to a reception for her husband, a large truck is going in the wrong direction. She doesn't see a little boy (Tommy Rettig) run into the street and hits him.

She races to the boy; a passerby accuses her of being drunk snd picks the child up, not answering her when she asks what hospital he is going to. Calling several hospitals, she learns the boy has been brought in as a "drunk hit and run."

Fearing for her husband's reputation, she says nothing. Using her doctor's connections, she learns the boy, David, is an orphan. As a result of the accident, he has developed aphasia and can't speak.

She agrees to take David into their home and help him learn to speak again. The couple come to love David and vice versa. But as she is saying goodnight to him before an event, he recognizes her necklace and realizes she hit him.

Good movie, directed by Rudolph Mate, with Young as beautiful as ever and giving an emotional performance. The speech lessons were very interesting.

Tommy Rettig was Lassie's original owner on TV. He was a long-time advocate of the legalization of marijuana. After leaving his acting career, he became absolute computer genius and legendary programmer.

Loretta Young loses her baby and is told in the hospital that she will never be able to have children. Dr. Alexander Knox, who was so brilliant in "Wilson" tells her this. She is married to college dean Kent Smith. The latter never had much sex appeal or appeal of a leading man in any of his pictures.

While driving to join Smith at a pre-promotional party for him, Young accidentally hits 7 year old Tommy Rettig of "Lassie" fame. Rettig, with those sad eyes of his, evoked a lot of emotion here as he is unable to recover from the accident.

Not admitting to the police that she did this, Young instead volunteers at the hospital and takes in the boy and suddenly becomes a speech pathologist. She is guided by Knox who suddenly is an expert in this field anyway.

Young and Rettig pull out emotional stops in this film. You may want to question the criminal justice system in the nonetheless happy ending.