| An unremarkable (by today's standards) | | | | be able to bear children anymore. But why did |
| childrearing melodrama in which Cary Grant | | | | they have to go to Japan to arrive at that point |
| delivers a performance so good that he was | | | | is a moot script question that is left unanswered. |
| nominated for a Best Actor Oscar. George | | | | Couldn't the same fate befall Julie if she had |
| Stevens directed the script by Morrie Ryskind.The | | | | another accident closer to home? Why did they |
| whole movie unfolds as a series of linear | | | | have to go all the way to Japan, is not clear. The |
| flashbacks, each triggered by the LP records a | | | | whole "Tokyo episode" stands out like a joke |
| disconsolate Julie (Irene Dunne) is playing on a | | | | without a punch line.The rest of this drama |
| gramophone just before she leaves her house for | | | | unfolds as the story of the married couple's |
| good. The reason? There does not seem to be | | | | desperate effort to adopt a child, and once |
| anything left in her marriage to keep her there. | | | | adopted, not to lose her.There is yet another |
| We are soon to learn the reason why and all the | | | | "baby sequence" in the middle of the movie which |
| tragic events that led her to that wistful | | | | could easily be part of an unrelated comedy. |
| moment.The first couple of times the revolving LP | | | | Grant again excels in this sequence, almost paying |
| record dissolves into a "memory hole" through | | | | tribute to the early years he spent during his |
| which we enter a slice of life in Julie's past, we | | | | teens as a pantomime and acrobat with Bob |
| enjoy it as a manifestation of a director's | | | | Pender's troupe. We see the young couple going |
| creativity. But the sixth or the seventh time that | | | | through many of the anxieties in taking care of |
| happens, we wonder how many times we have | | | | their adopted 5-week daughter. (Is she asleep or |
| to suffer the same unrelentingly mechanical idea. | | | | did she quit breathing?)They are so inexperienced, |
| It gets old pretty quickly proving that consistency | | | | they don't even know how to hold a baby or |
| is not always a virtue.Cary Grant plays the young | | | | bath her and change her diaper.But we can't also |
| and dashing newspaper reporter Roger Adams | | | | help notice the progress of a father-daughter |
| who marries the love of his life Julie (played by | | | | bonding between Grant and his infant daughter |
| Irene Dunne) on the eve of his departure to | | | | despite the fact that originally he asked for a |
| Tokyo to take over his newspaper's Japan | | | | 2-year old boy "with blond curly hair and blue |
| bureau. It also happens to be the Christmas night, | | | | eyes."For the first couple of years Roger's newly |
| complete with the obligatory snowfall (as in | | | | established weekly newspaper business, helped by |
| another Cary Grant movie, BISHOP'S WIFE | | | | the press veteran Applejack, seems to be |
| (1948)).Once established in Tokyo, Roger has Julie | | | | making the ends meet. But then his business |
| join him at his new opulent digs complete with a | | | | takes a sudden downturn and suddenly he is a |
| family of Japanese house servants. Julie is both | | | | man without an income.Since they are still at a |
| delighted and astonished that Roger can sustain | | | | "probationary period" in their adoption process, the |
| that level of luxury with only a reporter's salary. | | | | ever-vigilant adoption agency in the person of |
| We remember an earlier scene in which her friend | | | | Miss Oliver (Beulah Bondi) takes Roger to court. |
| Applejack (Edgar Buchanan) warned her against | | | | The judge is supposed to take the girl back |
| getting involved with a journalist. Is there | | | | because a family without income is not a fit place |
| something shady about Roger or past that we | | | | for any child to grow up in.However, Cary grant in |
| would know about yet?Two interesting things | | | | yet another excellent scene, delivers this really |
| happen during the "Tokyo sequence" that bring | | | | emotional monologue about the pain of separation |
| both Roger's character and the script's strength | | | | from his daughter, and the absurdity of taking a |
| into question.In the first scene, Roger announces | | | | child back as though she was a car or a furniture |
| Julie that he has quit his job thanks to his family | | | | repossessed because the owner has been late in |
| inheritance. Now they can go travel around the | | | | payments. His appeal as a heartbroken father |
| world before they settle down and raise a family, | | | | wins the day and the judge allows him to take |
| although during their dating period Roger showed | | | | her back home.After so many spinning |
| some reluctance to suffer pranks of children (the | | | | gramophone records dissolving into flashback |
| beach scene) gladly.It turns out what Roger calls | | | | scenes, we watch the child grow and take a small |
| "an inheritance" is just about ten thousand dollars, | | | | part in a Christmas play at school as her very |
| which shrinks further down to $8,000 after he | | | | proud parents watch her and give all their support |
| pays his outstanding bills. It is a let down for Julie. | | | | despite a minor mishap on the stage that ruins |
| He accuses Roger by acting "childishly." We'll see | | | | her day.Then disaster strikes, as it should in a |
| this pattern for the rest of the movie: Roger will | | | | tragedy. We read in a letter written to Miss Oliver |
| always come across as a man with grand ideas | | | | that the child has died following an illness. Since up |
| and much self-confidence who, however, can't | | | | to that point we have not seen a single scene in |
| deliver the bacon at the end.The second | | | | which the child suffered from any physical |
| important development in the "Tokyo sequence" | | | | ailments, this also comes across as contrived a |
| is the earthquake that levels their home. As we | | | | plot point as the earlier " Tokyo earthquake."After |
| continue to watch to see the "payoff" of this | | | | the death of their daughter Roger and Julie's union |
| totally unexpected natural disaster, the film | | | | starts to unravel quickly. The girl was the bond |
| abruptly shifts back to San Francisco where Julie | | | | that kept them together. |
| is lying in a hospital and she learns that she will not | | | | |