This black and white film is one I found listed in the book 1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die, it had good ratings and was obviously included in this reference, I hoped for something good, directed by Loe McCarey (Duck Soup, The Awful Truth, An Affair to Remember). Basically elderly couple Barkley "Bark" (Victor Moore) and Lucy Cooper (Beulah Bondi) lose their home after the bank forecloses on the mortgage, they now need a place to live, and they turn to their five adult children. However none of the children will take both them in and they are forced to live separately, this arrangement was supposed to be temporary for three months or until something more permanent can be arranged by the children. Lucy, aka "Ma", goes to live with her son George (Thomas Mitchell), but she always seems to in the way of him and especially his wife Anita Cooper (Fay Bainter) when she is trying to teach her bridge class. Barkley, aka "Pa", goes to live with his daughter Cora Payne (Elisabeth Risdon), but she obviously resents his very presence and arranges for him to go and live with another of his children in California. While all this is going on Lucy and Barkley do their best to maintain their dignity, in the end the couple are parted when Barkley leaves to find a job in California, he says he will send for Lucy, each make a heartfelt statement and reaffirm their lifelong love, but it seems this is almost certainly their final moment together as the train departs. Also starring Porter Hall as Harvey Chase, Barbara Read as Rhoda Cooper and Maurice Moscovitch as Max Rubens. The leading stars as the old and retired married couple who are chucked out their home and slowly broken up are likable, you believe their affection for each other with dances together and stuff, I have to admit I did find myself laughing all that much, there is supposed to be lightness with the sad stuff going on, it is certainly more tearjerking than funny, but that's not a bad thing, I didn't fully get into perhaps, but it is a worthwhile enough comedy drama. Good!
Review of Make Way for Tomorrow
