I'll always remember this film for the opening scene where Marie Dressler, looking more like Frankie Darro's grandmother than his mother, helps him prepare for a test by going through his text book and quizzing him on things he might be asked about. Dressler mispronounces words with such hilarity and even insults herself unknowingly by referring to her own chin as the jawbone of an ass. Even confusing "Philistine" with "Philippine" or outlandishly mispronouncing both will have you in stitches, as well as the scene where with husband Wallace Beery in a taxicab, she silently mouths shock over the increasing fare. Then when she drunkenly accuses obvious alcoholic husband Beery of being drunk, it is even more funny as she slurs her words, and her reaction to his reaction adds greatly to the results of the scene.
But where there is Dressler, there are also pathos, and nobody could be alternately funny or touching like her. Those big hound dog eyes of hers showed a soul deep inside a woman whose life had passed her by and yet had not taken away her sense of humor. It's easy to get past the fact that she seems far too old to be the mother to either Frankie Darro or his character's older self (Robert Young), because even with her advanced age, Dressler was timeless in her ability to make the audience bring her into their hearts. The basic story involves the estrangement of grown son Young with his parents over his father's constant failures and drunkenness and his mother's reaction to his verbal attack on Beery (a slap in the face, just like Jane Fonda got from Katharine Hepburn in "On Golden Pond"), attempts by Young's fiancee (Maureen O'Sullivan) to reconcile them, and eventually Beery's near fatal burn in a storm on their tugboat, being utilized to collect trash.
Beery allows Dressler to dominate the film (and his character here) because it is very apparent that Beery is a childish old man who needs guidance (and less booze) even to go brush his teeth. Dressler isn't some harpy fishwife; She obviously loves her husband and son unconditionally, and like Hepburn in "On Golden Pond", regrets her slap, but can't bear to see her husband disrespected. Everybody gives excellent performances, and the proper mixture of pathos and comedy makes this truly touching. Like their characters in "Min and Bill" (a very similar film in its setting and mix of emotions), but this has a much lighter tone than the tragic events that unfold in Dressler's Oscar Winning performance, even if it does end with a near disaster. Dressler would follow this up with her very grand performance in "Dinner at Eight" (where she was briefly reunited with Beery for one scene), but after one more film (the impossible to find "Christopher Bean"), she would retire due to her terminal illness. Dressler's performances all stand the test of time, because her personality is a guidance to what we all wish we could live up to try to be: strong and compassionate, yet funny in spite of all of our tribulations.
But where there is Dressler, there are also pathos, and nobody could be alternately funny or touching like her. Those big hound dog eyes of hers showed a soul deep inside a woman whose life had passed her by and yet had not taken away her sense of humor. It's easy to get past the fact that she seems far too old to be the mother to either Frankie Darro or his character's older self (Robert Young), because even with her advanced age, Dressler was timeless in her ability to make the audience bring her into their hearts. The basic story involves the estrangement of grown son Young with his parents over his father's constant failures and drunkenness and his mother's reaction to his verbal attack on Beery (a slap in the face, just like Jane Fonda got from Katharine Hepburn in "On Golden Pond"), attempts by Young's fiancee (Maureen O'Sullivan) to reconcile them, and eventually Beery's near fatal burn in a storm on their tugboat, being utilized to collect trash.
Beery allows Dressler to dominate the film (and his character here) because it is very apparent that Beery is a childish old man who needs guidance (and less booze) even to go brush his teeth. Dressler isn't some harpy fishwife; She obviously loves her husband and son unconditionally, and like Hepburn in "On Golden Pond", regrets her slap, but can't bear to see her husband disrespected. Everybody gives excellent performances, and the proper mixture of pathos and comedy makes this truly touching. Like their characters in "Min and Bill" (a very similar film in its setting and mix of emotions), but this has a much lighter tone than the tragic events that unfold in Dressler's Oscar Winning performance, even if it does end with a near disaster. Dressler would follow this up with her very grand performance in "Dinner at Eight" (where she was briefly reunited with Beery for one scene), but after one more film (the impossible to find "Christopher Bean"), she would retire due to her terminal illness. Dressler's performances all stand the test of time, because her personality is a guidance to what we all wish we could live up to try to be: strong and compassionate, yet funny in spite of all of our tribulations.