‘Made for Each Other’ (Movie review-2/17/39)

Microfiche-New York Times archives, McHenry Library, U.C. Santa Cruz | 2/17/39 | Frank S. Nugent

[Homer_J_Simpson]

In the Best of Humors Is ‘Made for Each Other,’ at the Music Hall

MADE FOR EACH OTHER, from a screenplay by Jo Swerling; directed by John Cromwell; produced by David O. Selznick for Selznick International Pictures; Released by United Artists At the Radio City Music Hall.

June Mason………………………Carole Lombard
John Mason…………………..…..James Stewart
Judge Doolittle.…….………….....Charles Coburn
Mrs. Mason…... …………………Lucile Watson
Conway…………….…….………Eddie Quillan
Sister Madeline……...…………...Alma Kruger
Eunice Doolittle……..…………...Ruth Weston
Carter………………...…………..Donald Briggs
Dr. Healy………….……...……...Harry Davenport
Cook……...………………………Esther Dale
Collins……………...…………….Russell Hopton
Hatton……...………......................Ward Bond
Farmer...…......………....................Olin Howland
Farmer’s Wife…......……...………Fern Emmett
Cook……………….......................Louise Beavers

FRANK S. NUGENT

Sweet are the uses of domesticity, as some one has said (probably Jo Swerling), and Mr. Swerling never has used the domestic home more sweetly than he has in “Made for Each Other,” the thoroughly delightful film which he and the rest of Selznick International gave to the music Hall yesterday. It is a richly human picture they have created, human and therefore comic, sentimental and poignant by turns. And we intend no disrespect to their creation when we point out that everything about it is as unoriginal as two young people getting married, having a baby, experiencing mother-in-law trouble and servant trouble and baby trouble, worrying about the job and having a quarrel on New Year’s Eve.

For that, in fact, is the story of “Made for Each Other,” and it happens to be the story, in one form or another, of almost every young couple that ever was or will be. Mr. Swerling hasn’t said a new thing, taken a stand pro or con, or shed a bit of light on the murky course of human destiny. He simply has found a pleasant young couple, or has let them find each other, and has permitted nature to have its fling. It is an unusual procedure for a script writer. Habitually they toss nature aside and think up the darndest things for their people to do. It’s amusing how interesting normal human behavior can be.

Of course, Mr. Swerling doesn’t deserve all this credit. He merely wrote the picture. It probably wouldn’t have succeeded at all without John Cromwell’s wise direction and James Stewart and Carole Lombard playing the Masons. You probably have met the Masons somewhere. He’s a young lawyer. She studied journalism once. She bullied him into asking for a raise and junior partnership; he came home tight that night; old Judge Doolittle, the senior grouch of the law firm, had beaten him to the gun and talked him into taking a 25 per cent pay cut. They both were crazy about the baby. It was only a week old when it smiled at him. At least, he thought it smiled; his mother just sniffed. “Gas,” she said.

You’ve met the Masons, we’re sure.

Mr. Stewart and Miss Lombard play them perfectly, and in the best of company. Charles Coburn’s Judge Doolittle, Lucile Watson’s mother-in-law; Esther Dale, Louise Beavers and some unsung bit player as the servant problem; Donald Briggs and Ruth Weston as a couple of unpleasant people – they’re right as rain, all of them. There may be a cynical jeer at the conclusion, which is straight out of the Hollywood good book, “Pollyanna,” but, honestly, we didn’t mind. Don’t believe you will, either.

[Homer_J_Simpson]

If you would like to be added to or deleted from the Real Time +/- 70 Years ping list, send me a freepmail. You can also search for these articles by the keyword realtime, going back to the first one on January 27, 2008.

[Homer_J_Simpson]

I transcribed the text due to the poor quality of my copy.

There may be a cynical jeer at the conclusion, which is straight out of the Hollywood good book, “Pollyanna,” but, honestly, we didn’t mind. Don’t believe you will, either.

Actually, I thought the movie lost coherence after the "baby will die unless we get the serum here from Salt Lake City" element was introduced.

[submarinerswife]

I absolutely love classic movies but I’m not exactly sure what this list is for? Is it a PING list?

[CougarGA7]

Regretfully there is no Campbell Playhouse offering this week. The next captured episode is dated March 10th so we have a couple weeks to wait.

[NavyCanDo]

“Is it a PING list?”

See post #1

I think I got on it just by responding to a past post, but that's OK. The topics on this ping list are often interesting, especially when it is on classic movies.

[NavyCanDo]

The strangest object I ever bid on on Ebay was a small aluminum chunk of the aircraft Carole Lombard was on when she was killed. It was mounted and framed and included the original front page of the Las Vegas paper announcing that her plane crashed. I was thinking at the time how cool it would be to add that to my home theater wall which is filled with autographed photos of classic movies stars. I stopped bidding when it got over $300 which was a good thing, because if I bid all the way up to the several thousand it eventually went for, my wife would of made sure my head hanging on that wall.

[Homer_J_Simpson]

I think I got on it just by responding to a past post, but that's OK.

I probably should have consulted you first, but your interest in classic film prompted me to make a note to ping you to the movie reviews. Your dedicated movie room sounds really cool.

[Homer_J_Simpson]

I absolutely love classic movies but I’m not exactly sure what this list is for? Is it a PING list?

I post selected N.Y. Times articles on the 70th anniversary of their original publication. The idea is to have a 7 1/2 year discussion forum on World War II, beginning with the events that led up to it. I try to get enough variety into the posts to give us an idea of how folks saw the world back then. As seen through the eyes of the N.Y. Times, of course.

If you like I can add you to a subset of the ping list reserved for movie reviews. There are lots of biggies in 1939.

[NavyCanDo]

That's OK, keep me on the ping list. You probably should though in post #1 explain the purpose of the post to those not understanding. Personally I think its kind of a cool idea. Kind of like when I go home and instead of turning on TV,I turn on old-time radio shows played on Sirius radio. Shows from the late 30s and early 40s when the country was facing much of the same challenges we are today.

[duckman]

Didn't realize Ward Bond went that far back. The first time I saw him was in the 50’s series of ‘Wagon Train’.

[Homer_J_Simpson]

Didn't realize Ward Bond went that far back. The first time I saw him was in the 50’s series of ‘Wagon Train’.

Oh, he's all over the place. It seems like his name shows up in every other movie review I post. He had a role in "They Made Me a Criminal," which posted on Jan. 21. Him and Alan Hale Sr., who I made the mistake of pointing out as Gilligan's skipper. Turns out that was Alan Hale Jr., as numerous readers informed me.