Father Is a Bachelor

Father Is a Bachelor is a 1950 American musical romantic comedy film directed by Abby Berlin and Norman Foster and starring William Holden and Coleen Gray.

Father Is a Bachelor
Directed byAbby Berlin
Norman Foster
Produced byS. Sylvan Simon
Screenplay byAleen Leslie
James Edward Grant
Story byJames Edward Grant
StarringWilliam Holden
Coleen Gray
Music byArthur Morton
CinematographyBurnett Guffey
Edited byJerome Thoms
Production
company
Columbia Pictures
Distributed byColumbia Pictures
Release date
  • February 22, 1950 (1950-02-22)
Running time
84 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish

Plot

Carefree vagabond Johnny Rutledge is stuck in a small town when his medicine show employer and friend Professor Mordecai Ford is put in jail. He befriends a young girl named May Chalotte and her brothers January ("Jan"), February ("Feb") and twins March and April. Jan received word six months before that their parents had died in a riverboat accident, but has not told anybody but Feb, and now Johnny, fearing they would be sent to an orphanage. Johnny makes it clear that he is adamantly opposed to taking on any responsibilities, but somehow finds himself becoming their "uncle" anyway. He works on a farm during the week and sings and waits tables on Sunday in a restaurant owned by Jericho Schlosser to provide for the children.

When Prudence Millett, daughter of the local judge, comes to inquire why the boys are not in school, Johnny is forced to claim he is their uncle. A romance begins to blossom, despite his strong aversion to being tied down. (He had worked very hard to drag himself out of poverty to half-ownership of a paper mill, only to have his partner abscond with all the company funds, so he gave up being a responsible citizen.)

When wealthy, unloved Jeffrey Gilland Sr. orders Johnny to keep his disreputable children away from his son Jeffrey Jr., Johnny scuffles with him and gets arrested. Prudence posts his bond, but his troubles are not over. Plato Cassin, Gilland's lawyer, finds out about the children's parents and blackmails Johnny into agreeing to marry one of his older, spinster sisters, Genevieve and Adelaide, in order to keep the kids. (Adelaide wins a game of quoits for the privilege.) Plato also convinces Prudence that Johnny was using the children to romance her.

After thinking it over, Johnny decides to run away with the now-released Professor Ford. May overhears and invites people to her birthday party the next day, intending it to be a going-away party for Johnny. Meanwhile, Johnny dissuades Gilland's young son from running away himself. At the party, a grateful Gilland drops the charges against him.

Prudence shows up, having seen how far Johnny is willing to go for the children. When May asks why she cannot be her aunt, Prudence is quite willing. Johnny tells Adelaide that he loves Prudence. She proves to be a sport and the two women gamble for him. Professor Ford offers what he, Johnny and Jan believe is Johnny's two-headed coin. Prudence wins the toss. Later, Johnny is shocked to learn that they accidentally used a regular coin.

Professor Ford leaves town, leaving Johnny with his new family.

Cast

Songs

Johnny sings a number of songs in the film, including "Wait 'Till the Sun Shines, Nellie" in blackface in the opening scene. Holden's singing was dubbed by Buddy Clark.

Reception

Bosley Crowther called the film a "saccharine, paper-thin little romance" in his New York Times review.[1]

References
  1. Bosley Crowther (February 23, 1950). "The Screen: Six Newcomers Mark Holiday; Capitol's 'Malaya' Has Tracy and Stewart in Leads-- Two Imports Offered Walt Disney's Feature-Length 'Cinderella,' at the Mayfair, Heads List of Arrivals At the Capitol At the Criterion At the Rialto At the Palace At 55th St. Playhouse". The New York Times.
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.