A psychological family drama starring Claudette Colbert and June Allyson. Colbert's Lee is widowed by Larry (Richard Derr), who's suicide ten years ago messed things up. When Lee moves back to their former home with stepchildren Chase (Robert Sterling) and Penny (Allyson), Chris (Walter Pidgeon), a former flame of Lee's, comes back into the picture. Problem is that Penny has a thing for him too.
Chase comes back from the war, Kay, Lee's secretary (Patricia Medina), tells him that Penny is in a bad way, "worse", that is, and has quit school. Lee's at Penny's psychiatrist, Dr. Rossinger (Lionel Barrymore), asking her why she never goes back to the family farm. He asks her about the two years between her marrying Larry and his suicide. So we start a flashback: to Chris and Lee coming back to America from England.
We see the younger Lee meet up with Chris. They're obviously attracted to each other. She tells him that she's in love with Larry. "Aren't you taking on a lot? A widower and two young children?" Well, that's exactly what she gets into. Just like that, though, Larry seems possessive of Lee, and her efforts to win over the kids: "Did you marry me or my children?" Plus he's drinking a bit, then a bit more. Next scene is the same, but he's in worse shape. "What do I tell them (their friends)?" asks Lee. "Tell them Larry's drunk." What's to account for his behavior?
So, she goes to a party with Chris. He's everything that Larry isn't: polite, social, happy. Well, after the party, Chris takes her dancing. He tells her that he was going to buy her a negligee. They're awful chummy. Hmm, just the night for.."some sort of an accident." Larry's dead. They tell the kids that dad had a heart attack. Suddenly, then, the door's open for Chris, literally. But, partly because of the bad memories, and also to pay off Larry's debts, she tells him she's renting the house, and taking a job in the city.
He renews his offer of affection for her; she admits "I wasn't his (Larry's) really." She wants to be left alone; he says ok. Return to the present, in Dr. Rossinger's office. He thinks she's been hiding from her past--and that, despite gossip about her and Chris--she ought to move back to the farm. As for Penny, she ought to know the truth about how and why her father died "She's in love with a ghost (her dad)".
The doctor goes on to say that Penny will become "permanently sick" unless she develops a relationship with someone her own age...Makes sense (Penny's heart 'condition' seems in unintentional sympathy with her dad's alleged cause of death). So, Lee thinks it makes sense to move back to the farm with Penny and Chase after all.
Chase tells her he's thinking of working for Chris's shipbuilding company. Lee hasn't seen Chris for ten years. Chase's been telling a friend Brandon (Marshall Thompson) about his nice sister; but, in a real sense, she's still playing (the piano) for her father. But she does have a few fond memories of Chris. In any case, she meets Brandon when Chase goes to interview about the job. That guy's really taken with her. Chris comes out to talk to them. Then, he invites them all to dinner.
Penny affects to be spooked by the thunderstorm; is she just wanting to spend the night at Chris's? He's like an uncle to her. She plays piano for him. Chris checks in with Lee. She tells her dog "we're going to the country." And, there she is, sprucing up the old farm house, while Brandon chats her up about Penny. I'm waiting for something juicy to happen...but Penny won't even go on a walk with him. Instead she calls Chris. So, who does Chris really come calling on, stepdaughter or stepmother? Both maybe.
By a very big duck pond, Penny sweet-talks Chris. "Boys frighten me". Meaning Brandon. Now Lee's leading him around "let's watch the kids (dance). Shall we?" Then Lee dances with Chris, with Penny looking jealous. She's actually turning the music off, affecting to be embarrassed by stepmom. For some reason, there's very little talk--other than the shipyard deal-- about anybody's jobs or responsibilities. What has Lee been up to for ten years? (real estate, we later learn) Anyway, now Penny finds Chris late at night outside.
She recalls one of her dad's wee hour piano riffs. "Love me always," the needy dad implores her six-year-old self. Back to the moonlight thing with Chris--he's especially avuncular now. She more or less blows off Brandon, who's been waiting for her. She refuses to play for the guys at the base he's stationed at. She makes up with Lee. Everything's a competition between them: even Brandon is a bone of contention. Meanwhile, Chase proposes to Kay. Seems that Penny is even jealous of them for stealing attention from her.
Chris pops in while Penny is working in the garden. "Gardening is good for me. My psychiatrist said so." She seems chagrined that he doesn't invite her to check out his latest ship. In New York, there's kind of a recurring bit, with Chris wanting to buy a negligee for Lee (and, for Penny, a pendant "would that be suitable for a junior miss?").
Anyway, he picks up Lee from the station. They go to his place. For once, there's work talk. And then, Chris's present for her makes it's way to her wrist. Chase says "Say, wouldn't it be a great idea...Lee and Chris?" Penny begs to differ. Now we learn that Lee has been keeping them above water the whole time; he lets the bomb fall that dad's 'fall' wasn't an accident.
Is Penny going to kill her? The wacko music implies... something's in the offing. Meanwhile, at Chris's, he produces the negligee. Chris is going to propose. She's not quite there yet. When they mention Penny the girl appears at the French door. The cute pendant falls to the ground, as Penny looks on. He tries his big line on Lee, she realizes it was what he told Penny--in other words, the lover that the girl spoke of wasn't good old Brandon, it was Chris. Penny's disappeared, but here's Chase to tell Lee and Chris that Penny ran off distraught after she learned the truth about her father. They think maybe she is likely to jump from the same point as her father did. Lee goes after her, and catches up. "You killed my father!" "You can have Chris!" But Lee lays it on the line. Larry did what he did because he'd bilked investors. Luckily, Lee's able to grab Penny before there's a suicide attempt.
Next thing we know, Penny's effectively catatonic. Lee, attempting to bring her out of it, more or less rationalizes Larry's mistakes--apparently, he'd been jobbed by the music industry, thus the retribution that got him in hot water. Lee breaks through Penny's mask. Flashing forward a bit, Penny finishes school, and all's well. The end.
This is really Penny's story. And it's a pretty good one; almost a gothic tale of a narcissistic personality disorder growing out of a traumatic event in early childhood. The weird competition that she has with her stepmother shows how she blames Lee for what happened to her dad. That's a plausible reaction, and quite perceptive, in so far as Chris has been edging closer to Lee from the beginning--who would think of buying a married woman a negligee other than a lover?
Still, Lee never gave in to Chris while she was married, spurned him after Larry had just died; and didn't reconnect with lover-boy until ten years later. And Colbert's character is no Better Davis/Joan Crawford horror hag; Lee is consistently nice and supportive to both of her step-children. The real question mark is Larry. He's not on screen enough for us to see more than a ruined man. His hassles with the people he eventually turned on aren't depicted; we have no idea if he's a wronged man, a vindictive one, or both. It's important, because it's Larry's relationship with Penny that drives the whole plot.
Actually, it wouldn't much matter to a kid just what one's father does for a living; but Lee's concerned only because her husband's acting like a jerk, even though she ends up holding the bag of his mistakes after his death. If Larry isn't even two-dimensional, then Chris barely makes that grade. He's basically a cool, successful guy. With a big crush on Lee. Why would he carry a torch for her for ten years? I couldn't even see Brandon doing that for Penny. Brandon and Penny's non-relationship shows Penny at her worst. She's never gotten over her daddy's-girl status; which explains why Chris is automatically more attractive than Brandon ever could be.
With Chase and Kay, we've got a good contrast with Penny's unsuccessful relations with men. Her display when her brother announces his engagement to Kay is as childish as it is narcissistic. The implicit message is that, either no one should be happy because I (Penny) am not, or I can't do (a peer relationship) like you guys, so your thing isn't so hot. The cathartic suicide attempt and its aftermath seems a bit predictable, but only in retrospect. It was equally possible that she could've killed herself, or even Lee or Chris.
This was entertaining, but a little slow. As mentioned, Penny is really the only interesting character; so the plot is tucked in to fit her issues, which makes for some contrivances. 6.5/10.
Chase comes back from the war, Kay, Lee's secretary (Patricia Medina), tells him that Penny is in a bad way, "worse", that is, and has quit school. Lee's at Penny's psychiatrist, Dr. Rossinger (Lionel Barrymore), asking her why she never goes back to the family farm. He asks her about the two years between her marrying Larry and his suicide. So we start a flashback: to Chris and Lee coming back to America from England.
We see the younger Lee meet up with Chris. They're obviously attracted to each other. She tells him that she's in love with Larry. "Aren't you taking on a lot? A widower and two young children?" Well, that's exactly what she gets into. Just like that, though, Larry seems possessive of Lee, and her efforts to win over the kids: "Did you marry me or my children?" Plus he's drinking a bit, then a bit more. Next scene is the same, but he's in worse shape. "What do I tell them (their friends)?" asks Lee. "Tell them Larry's drunk." What's to account for his behavior?
So, she goes to a party with Chris. He's everything that Larry isn't: polite, social, happy. Well, after the party, Chris takes her dancing. He tells her that he was going to buy her a negligee. They're awful chummy. Hmm, just the night for.."some sort of an accident." Larry's dead. They tell the kids that dad had a heart attack. Suddenly, then, the door's open for Chris, literally. But, partly because of the bad memories, and also to pay off Larry's debts, she tells him she's renting the house, and taking a job in the city.
He renews his offer of affection for her; she admits "I wasn't his (Larry's) really." She wants to be left alone; he says ok. Return to the present, in Dr. Rossinger's office. He thinks she's been hiding from her past--and that, despite gossip about her and Chris--she ought to move back to the farm. As for Penny, she ought to know the truth about how and why her father died "She's in love with a ghost (her dad)".
The doctor goes on to say that Penny will become "permanently sick" unless she develops a relationship with someone her own age...Makes sense (Penny's heart 'condition' seems in unintentional sympathy with her dad's alleged cause of death). So, Lee thinks it makes sense to move back to the farm with Penny and Chase after all.
Chase tells her he's thinking of working for Chris's shipbuilding company. Lee hasn't seen Chris for ten years. Chase's been telling a friend Brandon (Marshall Thompson) about his nice sister; but, in a real sense, she's still playing (the piano) for her father. But she does have a few fond memories of Chris. In any case, she meets Brandon when Chase goes to interview about the job. That guy's really taken with her. Chris comes out to talk to them. Then, he invites them all to dinner.
Penny affects to be spooked by the thunderstorm; is she just wanting to spend the night at Chris's? He's like an uncle to her. She plays piano for him. Chris checks in with Lee. She tells her dog "we're going to the country." And, there she is, sprucing up the old farm house, while Brandon chats her up about Penny. I'm waiting for something juicy to happen...but Penny won't even go on a walk with him. Instead she calls Chris. So, who does Chris really come calling on, stepdaughter or stepmother? Both maybe.
By a very big duck pond, Penny sweet-talks Chris. "Boys frighten me". Meaning Brandon. Now Lee's leading him around "let's watch the kids (dance). Shall we?" Then Lee dances with Chris, with Penny looking jealous. She's actually turning the music off, affecting to be embarrassed by stepmom. For some reason, there's very little talk--other than the shipyard deal-- about anybody's jobs or responsibilities. What has Lee been up to for ten years? (real estate, we later learn) Anyway, now Penny finds Chris late at night outside.
She recalls one of her dad's wee hour piano riffs. "Love me always," the needy dad implores her six-year-old self. Back to the moonlight thing with Chris--he's especially avuncular now. She more or less blows off Brandon, who's been waiting for her. She refuses to play for the guys at the base he's stationed at. She makes up with Lee. Everything's a competition between them: even Brandon is a bone of contention. Meanwhile, Chase proposes to Kay. Seems that Penny is even jealous of them for stealing attention from her.
Chris pops in while Penny is working in the garden. "Gardening is good for me. My psychiatrist said so." She seems chagrined that he doesn't invite her to check out his latest ship. In New York, there's kind of a recurring bit, with Chris wanting to buy a negligee for Lee (and, for Penny, a pendant "would that be suitable for a junior miss?").
Anyway, he picks up Lee from the station. They go to his place. For once, there's work talk. And then, Chris's present for her makes it's way to her wrist. Chase says "Say, wouldn't it be a great idea...Lee and Chris?" Penny begs to differ. Now we learn that Lee has been keeping them above water the whole time; he lets the bomb fall that dad's 'fall' wasn't an accident.
Is Penny going to kill her? The wacko music implies... something's in the offing. Meanwhile, at Chris's, he produces the negligee. Chris is going to propose. She's not quite there yet. When they mention Penny the girl appears at the French door. The cute pendant falls to the ground, as Penny looks on. He tries his big line on Lee, she realizes it was what he told Penny--in other words, the lover that the girl spoke of wasn't good old Brandon, it was Chris. Penny's disappeared, but here's Chase to tell Lee and Chris that Penny ran off distraught after she learned the truth about her father. They think maybe she is likely to jump from the same point as her father did. Lee goes after her, and catches up. "You killed my father!" "You can have Chris!" But Lee lays it on the line. Larry did what he did because he'd bilked investors. Luckily, Lee's able to grab Penny before there's a suicide attempt.
Next thing we know, Penny's effectively catatonic. Lee, attempting to bring her out of it, more or less rationalizes Larry's mistakes--apparently, he'd been jobbed by the music industry, thus the retribution that got him in hot water. Lee breaks through Penny's mask. Flashing forward a bit, Penny finishes school, and all's well. The end.
This is really Penny's story. And it's a pretty good one; almost a gothic tale of a narcissistic personality disorder growing out of a traumatic event in early childhood. The weird competition that she has with her stepmother shows how she blames Lee for what happened to her dad. That's a plausible reaction, and quite perceptive, in so far as Chris has been edging closer to Lee from the beginning--who would think of buying a married woman a negligee other than a lover?
Still, Lee never gave in to Chris while she was married, spurned him after Larry had just died; and didn't reconnect with lover-boy until ten years later. And Colbert's character is no Better Davis/Joan Crawford horror hag; Lee is consistently nice and supportive to both of her step-children. The real question mark is Larry. He's not on screen enough for us to see more than a ruined man. His hassles with the people he eventually turned on aren't depicted; we have no idea if he's a wronged man, a vindictive one, or both. It's important, because it's Larry's relationship with Penny that drives the whole plot.
Actually, it wouldn't much matter to a kid just what one's father does for a living; but Lee's concerned only because her husband's acting like a jerk, even though she ends up holding the bag of his mistakes after his death. If Larry isn't even two-dimensional, then Chris barely makes that grade. He's basically a cool, successful guy. With a big crush on Lee. Why would he carry a torch for her for ten years? I couldn't even see Brandon doing that for Penny. Brandon and Penny's non-relationship shows Penny at her worst. She's never gotten over her daddy's-girl status; which explains why Chris is automatically more attractive than Brandon ever could be.
With Chase and Kay, we've got a good contrast with Penny's unsuccessful relations with men. Her display when her brother announces his engagement to Kay is as childish as it is narcissistic. The implicit message is that, either no one should be happy because I (Penny) am not, or I can't do (a peer relationship) like you guys, so your thing isn't so hot. The cathartic suicide attempt and its aftermath seems a bit predictable, but only in retrospect. It was equally possible that she could've killed herself, or even Lee or Chris.
This was entertaining, but a little slow. As mentioned, Penny is really the only interesting character; so the plot is tucked in to fit her issues, which makes for some contrivances. 6.5/10.