Sunday, 3 January 2021

I Remember Mama (1948 George Stevens & exec prod)

Funnily enough, we're in b&w San Francisco again. Rather like 'A Tree Grows in Brooklyn' an autobiographical novel - by Kathryn Forbes, 'Mama's Bank Account' - is the source, via a theatrical adaptation by John Van Druten. Irene Dunne is Mama and Barbara Bel Geddes is her daughter, younger and older (she was 26ish). With Philip Dorn, Cedric Hardwicke, Ellen Corby, Edgar Bergen, Barbara O'Neill, Florence Bates.

Oscar Homolka makes a good impression as a blustery uncle. He, Dunne, Bel Geddes and Corby were all Oscar nominated.

To support my earlier contention that Roy Webb scored every single film RKO ever produced, the music's by Roy Webb, with cinematography from another RKO stalwart Nick Musuraca (his only Oscar nomination), though the DVD is unfortunately rather fuzzy (needs a remaster like Tree Grows in Brooklyn). 

This is unexpectedly delightful and successful, with great little touches, such as the father noticing the son is attempting to smoke a pipe, and the uncle whose death is accompanied by a cow mooing.

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