I saw this movie yesterday on Turner, and I was unable to stop watching until it was over, even though I sort of could guess what would happen. Farrell was great in her role, and everyone else did a super job. Some of it seemed to stretch the limits, but all in all, I loved it!! If you get the chance to see it, please do! I actually cried at a few scenes, but then I guess if you are a mom you would. Loretta is beautiful, and I was just in astonishment at the very idea of their being unwed moms there, it seemed ahead of its' time. I say, WATCH IT if you can, and don't listen to criticisms. As they say, I laughed, I cried! I thoroughly enjoyed it!
24 Reviews
Glenda Farrell shines again!
fedya-111 August 2007
Warning: Spoilers
Even in the 21st century, child-bearing is dangerous: women have miscarriages, and give birth prematurely. Seventy-five years ago, it was not uncommon for women to die during childbirth. That is the theme of "Life Begins": a look at the "difficult cases" ward of a maternity hospital. Loretta Young plays the lead, a woman brought here from prison (what crime she committed is not germane to the plot) to give birth; she's conflicted about the fact she's going to have to give her baby up after birth. She's in a ward with several other women, who share their joys and pain with each other.
Although Loretta Young is the lead, the outstanding performance, as usual, is put in by Glenda Farrell. Farrell was one of Warner's "B" women in the 1930s, showing up quite a bit in supporting roles, and sometimes getting the lead in B movies (Farrell played Torchy Blane in several installments of the "Torchy" B-movie series.) Here, Farrell plays an expectant mother who doesn't want her children, since they'll only get in the way. She does everything she can to get in the way of the nurses, including smuggling liquor into the ward (this of course during the Prohibition days), and drinking like a fish -- apparently they'd never heard of fetal alcohol syndrome back in the 30s.
Interestingly, unlike most movie of the early 1930s, it's not the women being bumbling idiots getting in the way of the heroic men -- that situation is reversed, with the expectant fathers being quivering mounds of jelly. (Watch for veteran character actor Frank McHugh as one of the expectant fathers.) "Life Begins", being an early talkie, treats the subject with a fair dollop of melodrama, to be sure, but it's quite a charming little movie. Turner Classic show it, albeit infrequently; I've only seen it show up on a few days honoring Loretta Young. But it's highly recommended viewing when it does show up.
Although Loretta Young is the lead, the outstanding performance, as usual, is put in by Glenda Farrell. Farrell was one of Warner's "B" women in the 1930s, showing up quite a bit in supporting roles, and sometimes getting the lead in B movies (Farrell played Torchy Blane in several installments of the "Torchy" B-movie series.) Here, Farrell plays an expectant mother who doesn't want her children, since they'll only get in the way. She does everything she can to get in the way of the nurses, including smuggling liquor into the ward (this of course during the Prohibition days), and drinking like a fish -- apparently they'd never heard of fetal alcohol syndrome back in the 30s.
Interestingly, unlike most movie of the early 1930s, it's not the women being bumbling idiots getting in the way of the heroic men -- that situation is reversed, with the expectant fathers being quivering mounds of jelly. (Watch for veteran character actor Frank McHugh as one of the expectant fathers.) "Life Begins", being an early talkie, treats the subject with a fair dollop of melodrama, to be sure, but it's quite a charming little movie. Turner Classic show it, albeit infrequently; I've only seen it show up on a few days honoring Loretta Young. But it's highly recommended viewing when it does show up.
Pre-Code soap, nicely understated
marcslope9 January 2006
Sort of like a very primitive episode of "General Hospital" set in a natal ward (and one for tough cases at that), this fast-moving programmer has a satisfying emotional impact -- mainly because Eric Linden, as the distraught young husband in the main plot, is so palpably a wreck, and with such good reason. His expectant wife, Loretta Young, is brought to the ward at the beginning of a 20-year prison sentence for offing a lecher who probably had it coming to him; Ms. Young, as always, doesn't do anything to disinvite audience sympathy, and she's a little too good to be true, though sympathetic and lovely to look at, of course. Her difficult pregnancy and relationships with the other girls of the ward form the heart of the movie, and the outcome -- not an entirely happy one -- feels right. Aline MacMahon, "one of the cinema's few perfect actresses," in the apt words of film historian David Thomson, exudes warmth and authority as the head nurse, and Glenda Farrell, as a none-too-willing new mom of twins, gets to croon "Frankie and Johnny" as a drunken lullaby. Frank McHugh figures in another subplot, and he gets to show more range than Warners usually permitted him. It's scaled and paced modestly, and Linden's expectant-dad panic stays with you for days -- this sort of part was often played for laughs, but he's a terrified young kid in trouble, and very persuasive.
What the Stork Brought
wes-connors18 January 2010
A maternity ward for difficult mothers-to-be is the primary setting for this unusual drama. The main story focuses on boyish expectant father Eric Linden (as Jed Sutton), who arrives at the "Waiting Womans Ward" (sic) ahead of his wife, lovely Loretta Young (as Grace). Sounding desperate, Mr. Sutton begs doctors to take care of the fragile Ms. Young, a imprisoned murderer. Young is only in the hospital to have the baby, and Sutton fears she has lost the will to live. Sutton wants to fight for an appeal or pardon.
Young and Linden are a very appealing couple, with the lesser-known Linden surprisingly endearing. The story takes an atypical, and thought-provoking turn when doctors ask Linden to make a decision about his wife's pregnancy - then ignore his request. Sweet older mother Clara Blandick (as Mrs. West) offers sage advice. But, also watch for boozing baby-hating mother Glenda Farrell (as Florette Darien), the always underrated Aline MacMahon (as Miss Bowers), and the First National/Warner Bros. team.
****** Life Begins (9/4/32) James Flood ~ Eric Linden, Loretta Young, Aline MacMahon, Glenda Farrell
Young and Linden are a very appealing couple, with the lesser-known Linden surprisingly endearing. The story takes an atypical, and thought-provoking turn when doctors ask Linden to make a decision about his wife's pregnancy - then ignore his request. Sweet older mother Clara Blandick (as Mrs. West) offers sage advice. But, also watch for boozing baby-hating mother Glenda Farrell (as Florette Darien), the always underrated Aline MacMahon (as Miss Bowers), and the First National/Warner Bros. team.
****** Life Begins (9/4/32) James Flood ~ Eric Linden, Loretta Young, Aline MacMahon, Glenda Farrell
Warners Pre-Code
PATRICK19625 February 2006
Glenda Farrell steals the picture as a reluctant (to put it mildly)and hard-drinking mother-to-be. Glenda appeared in numerous Warner Brothers pictures during the 1930s and she is always a delight. Eric Linden gives a nice performance as the distraught husband of convict Loretta Young. Preston Foster has very little to do as one of the doctors. Aline MacMahon is effective as the motherly nurse. Clara Blandick (she achieved cinematic immortality as Auntie Em in THE WIZARD OF OZ) is a rather mature mother-to-be. Familiar faces such as Elizabeth Patterson, Esther Howard and Paul Fix appear in unbilled roles. Also unbilled, surprisingly, is Gilbert Roland as a non-English speaking father whose child does not survive. In 1932 he was a big enough name to warrant billing, so it was a surprise to see him in an unbilled bit.
"Having a baby is no joke."
utgard145 June 2015
Compelling Pre-Code drama centering on a hospital maternity ward and the different people there -- the expectant mothers and fathers, the doctors and nurses. Loretta Young plays a woman convicted of manslaughter who is brought to the hospital to deliver her baby. Her wimpy husband Eric Linden waits and worries. Glenda Farrell is an alcoholic showgirl who finds out she's having twins -- and can't wait to get rid of them! Clara Bandick plays an older woman who already has six kids of her own and happily looks forward to number seven. Aline MacMahon is the sympathetic head nurse. Preston Foster plays one of the doctors. Frank McHugh has a funny role as a nervous father-to-be. Gilbert Roland has a brief but memorable role, as well.
Loretta is beautiful and gives an appealing, sensitive performance. Eric Linden is the divisive one here. Some will find him appropriately nervous for the part but others will think he's over-the-top, bordering on hysterical at times. The rest of the cast is terrific. This is a real gem for fans of Pre-Code films. It's well-written and pretty realistic for the subject matter and time it was made. They use the word 'husky' a lot for some reason, though. It was remade in 1939 as A Child Is Born. That version is good, too, but not as gritty or interesting as this one.
Loretta is beautiful and gives an appealing, sensitive performance. Eric Linden is the divisive one here. Some will find him appropriately nervous for the part but others will think he's over-the-top, bordering on hysterical at times. The rest of the cast is terrific. This is a real gem for fans of Pre-Code films. It's well-written and pretty realistic for the subject matter and time it was made. They use the word 'husky' a lot for some reason, though. It was remade in 1939 as A Child Is Born. That version is good, too, but not as gritty or interesting as this one.
Quite dated, but very good if you love films from Hollywood's golden era
planktonrules24 January 2010
Warning: Spoilers
This film is one that played very well back in 1932 and probably wouldn't work as well today because its style it a bit old fashioned and contrived. However, if you are the sort person, like me, who adores older Hollywood films, you cut the film a bit of slack and can enjoy it for what it is--an interesting soap.
The film is set in a ward for problem pregnancies. In this large room are about a half dozen beds in which women are waiting to give birth--but doctors are concerned about possible complications (yikes--such a room would really traumatize the mothers!). And, like an episode of "Love Boat" or "Fantasy Island", each mother has her own special story. With so many rather extreme and crazy stories, you have to suspend disbelief. I could and enjoyed the film quite a bit.
Here are a few of the stories: One involves a father. You don't see the mom, but he is a very, very nervous father and it's included for comic relief. However, he was wonderful here--very touching.
Loretta Young and Eric Linden are a sad case. Loretta is sent to the hospital from prison--she apparently killed some horrible guy. You don't know exactly what occurred, but you assume he was trying to force himself on her! Yet, she was given a 20 year sentence--and her husband is devoted to her and is by her side as much as he can.
Glenda Farrell is an awful person. She has the maternal instincts of a hamster--a really, really bad and alcoholic hamster! She is pretty funny and worth seeing through most of the film. I loved her drinking from a hot water bottle filled with gin as well as becoming upset when she learns she can't make money selling her twins!! Late in the film, she has a typical Hollywood-style change of heart that was supposed to be touching--I found it contrived.
There is a woman who has given birth to a still-born baby. Amazingly, afterwords, they put the lady back in the same ward as the women waiting to give birth!!! A crazy woman, who you assumed lost a baby some time ago,wanders down from the psychiatric unit. She insists she's having a baby. Later, she escapes again and actually takes one of the kids!
There are most stories than this but the ones I mentioned are the main ones. As I said, it's a soap opera of sorts and is highly entertaining--and quite sad in the case of several of the stories. The ending, in particular, is heart-breaking and exceptionally well done. There were a few particularly good performances--especially Farrell and Aline MacMahon as the head nurse. All in all, a very good film--and I have no idea why they felt they had to remake the film just a few years later (which was typical for Warner Brothers).
The film is set in a ward for problem pregnancies. In this large room are about a half dozen beds in which women are waiting to give birth--but doctors are concerned about possible complications (yikes--such a room would really traumatize the mothers!). And, like an episode of "Love Boat" or "Fantasy Island", each mother has her own special story. With so many rather extreme and crazy stories, you have to suspend disbelief. I could and enjoyed the film quite a bit.
Here are a few of the stories: One involves a father. You don't see the mom, but he is a very, very nervous father and it's included for comic relief. However, he was wonderful here--very touching.
Loretta Young and Eric Linden are a sad case. Loretta is sent to the hospital from prison--she apparently killed some horrible guy. You don't know exactly what occurred, but you assume he was trying to force himself on her! Yet, she was given a 20 year sentence--and her husband is devoted to her and is by her side as much as he can.
Glenda Farrell is an awful person. She has the maternal instincts of a hamster--a really, really bad and alcoholic hamster! She is pretty funny and worth seeing through most of the film. I loved her drinking from a hot water bottle filled with gin as well as becoming upset when she learns she can't make money selling her twins!! Late in the film, she has a typical Hollywood-style change of heart that was supposed to be touching--I found it contrived.
There is a woman who has given birth to a still-born baby. Amazingly, afterwords, they put the lady back in the same ward as the women waiting to give birth!!! A crazy woman, who you assumed lost a baby some time ago,wanders down from the psychiatric unit. She insists she's having a baby. Later, she escapes again and actually takes one of the kids!
There are most stories than this but the ones I mentioned are the main ones. As I said, it's a soap opera of sorts and is highly entertaining--and quite sad in the case of several of the stories. The ending, in particular, is heart-breaking and exceptionally well done. There were a few particularly good performances--especially Farrell and Aline MacMahon as the head nurse. All in all, a very good film--and I have no idea why they felt they had to remake the film just a few years later (which was typical for Warner Brothers).
precode maternity ward
blanche-210 March 2015
"Life Begins" from 1932 was remade in 1939 as "A Child is Born." Let it not be said that only Hollywood today remakes past films - it's been going on since the beginning of film. Darryl F. Zanuck would combine scripts, while Warners changed a line or two and the title and put them out again. "The Maltese Falcon" had been made twice before the great 1941 version.
"Life Begins" is grittier and more melodramatic than its 1939 counterpart. The story concerns the different women in a maternity ward waiting to give birth. (Some do but we don't see them.) As I mentioned in the review of A Child is Born, it's not clear what these women are doing there. Perhaps years ago women felt like their time was near and just checked into the hospital; or possibly these women were having contractions but didn't show it, anymore than they showed they were pregnant.
One woman (Glenda Farrell) is expecting twins and doesn't want them; an older woman (Clara Blandick) is having her seventh child. There were extra characters and another subplot added in '39.
The focus is the same: on the Linden-Young plot, where she committed murder under what sounds like extenuating circumstances and is hoping for a pardon later on, and has come to the hospital to have her baby. She is physically weak, and it becomes necessary to perform a Cesarean, which in her case is dangerous.
Overall, the 1932 cast were better suited to their roles than the later film. Here, Loretta Young plays the imprisoned mom-to-be, and her frail looks, youth, and paleness make her better for the role than Geraldine Fitzgerald in 1939, though Fitzgerald was very good. Young really looked like a prisoner. Her husband is played by Eric Linden, who had been a stage actor. For me he was a little too melodramatic; I preferred Jeffrey Lynn.
Aline McMahon as the head nurse has the Gale Page role. McMahon is more authoritative; Page was friendlier and warmer.
Glenda Farrell, as the woman expecting twins, is especially good, and more believable than Gladys George in '39, who seemed too old for the role. George in '39 had more of a back story.
A sweet ending to a film that deals with adoption, mental illness, and incarceration. In both versions, the mother of twins is sneaking booze; in '39, they hand one of the babies to her to nurse. It's just one of the things that makes films like this fascinating. Birthin' babies has sure changed.
"Life Begins" is grittier and more melodramatic than its 1939 counterpart. The story concerns the different women in a maternity ward waiting to give birth. (Some do but we don't see them.) As I mentioned in the review of A Child is Born, it's not clear what these women are doing there. Perhaps years ago women felt like their time was near and just checked into the hospital; or possibly these women were having contractions but didn't show it, anymore than they showed they were pregnant.
One woman (Glenda Farrell) is expecting twins and doesn't want them; an older woman (Clara Blandick) is having her seventh child. There were extra characters and another subplot added in '39.
The focus is the same: on the Linden-Young plot, where she committed murder under what sounds like extenuating circumstances and is hoping for a pardon later on, and has come to the hospital to have her baby. She is physically weak, and it becomes necessary to perform a Cesarean, which in her case is dangerous.
Overall, the 1932 cast were better suited to their roles than the later film. Here, Loretta Young plays the imprisoned mom-to-be, and her frail looks, youth, and paleness make her better for the role than Geraldine Fitzgerald in 1939, though Fitzgerald was very good. Young really looked like a prisoner. Her husband is played by Eric Linden, who had been a stage actor. For me he was a little too melodramatic; I preferred Jeffrey Lynn.
Aline McMahon as the head nurse has the Gale Page role. McMahon is more authoritative; Page was friendlier and warmer.
Glenda Farrell, as the woman expecting twins, is especially good, and more believable than Gladys George in '39, who seemed too old for the role. George in '39 had more of a back story.
A sweet ending to a film that deals with adoption, mental illness, and incarceration. In both versions, the mother of twins is sneaking booze; in '39, they hand one of the babies to her to nurse. It's just one of the things that makes films like this fascinating. Birthin' babies has sure changed.
Wonderful performances make this precode stand out
overseer-35 March 2006
Life Begins - and ends - in a typical 1930's maternity / recovery ward, where we view 48 hours in the lives of several high risk pregnant women, played by Loretta Young, Glenda Farrell, Clara Blandick (Aunty Em???), Vivienne Osborne, Dorothy Tree, and Gloria Shea, as they await to give birth. While the film features plot devices which seem far fetched today when maternity wards are much more controlled and restricted, it does offer us a look back in time to see what giving birth in a typical city hospital in 1932 was like for our grandmothers and great-grandmothers. I found the film fascinating and exceptionally moving.
Oddly enough, the most outstanding performance in this film comes from a male cast member, young Eric Linden as Jed Sutton, Grace's (Loretta Young) husband. What an actor! As a first time father, Jed is distraught and uneasy with hospital staff who seem to brush off his concerns about his wife as they might brush crumbs off a cafeteria table. I felt his every concern keenly. I'd like to see more of this actor's work. He had a very emotional voice, which was used to unforgettable effect in Gone With The Wind. In that film Eric played the young soldier whose leg was amputated without anesthesia, who screamed "Don't cut! Don't cut!" as Scarlett fled the hospital in horror. Chilling! Another great performance is from Aline MacMahon, who plays Miss Bowers, the nurse. Her character is a salt of the earth type, the kind of nurse we all hope to get for our hospital stays, who breaks the hospital rules constantly in order to show a more humane side of the medical profession.
Loretta Young did another superb acting job here as well, a very authentic and deeply felt performance as Grace. My, she is great in these precodes, I've really grown to appreciate her more as an actress the last few months.
Glenda Farrell played her role of a shrill unwed mother a little over the top for my taste (didn't anyone know back in 1932 that swigging brandy from a hot water bottle might be hazardous to unborn babies' health?) but her character redeems herself in the end.
Also in the cast was an uncredited Gilbert Roland, silent movie star, as a grieving Italian husband. His screen time was brief, but notable.
Life Begins is a must-see precode, try to catch it sometime on TCM, but remember to bring a few hankies to cry into. 9 out of 10.
Oddly enough, the most outstanding performance in this film comes from a male cast member, young Eric Linden as Jed Sutton, Grace's (Loretta Young) husband. What an actor! As a first time father, Jed is distraught and uneasy with hospital staff who seem to brush off his concerns about his wife as they might brush crumbs off a cafeteria table. I felt his every concern keenly. I'd like to see more of this actor's work. He had a very emotional voice, which was used to unforgettable effect in Gone With The Wind. In that film Eric played the young soldier whose leg was amputated without anesthesia, who screamed "Don't cut! Don't cut!" as Scarlett fled the hospital in horror. Chilling! Another great performance is from Aline MacMahon, who plays Miss Bowers, the nurse. Her character is a salt of the earth type, the kind of nurse we all hope to get for our hospital stays, who breaks the hospital rules constantly in order to show a more humane side of the medical profession.
Loretta Young did another superb acting job here as well, a very authentic and deeply felt performance as Grace. My, she is great in these precodes, I've really grown to appreciate her more as an actress the last few months.
Glenda Farrell played her role of a shrill unwed mother a little over the top for my taste (didn't anyone know back in 1932 that swigging brandy from a hot water bottle might be hazardous to unborn babies' health?) but her character redeems herself in the end.
Also in the cast was an uncredited Gilbert Roland, silent movie star, as a grieving Italian husband. His screen time was brief, but notable.
Life Begins is a must-see precode, try to catch it sometime on TCM, but remember to bring a few hankies to cry into. 9 out of 10.
Grand Hotel on the Maternity Ward
MillieTheRedhead31 January 2024
This film follows several women on a maternity ward for what we'd now call high risk pregnancies. There's an older mother, a reluctant party girl about to have twins, a frail convict, a woman who previously lost a baby at birth. It's kind of like Grand Hotel or the Love Boat in a maternity ward setting, although the filmed action seldom moves off the ward. It's definitely pre-code; more than one mother seems to have no father involved, and the talk is pretty frank. It includes a lot of familiar faces from 30s pre-code cinema, including Loretta Young as the fragile murderess, Aline MacMahon as a nurse, and Glenda Farrell as a hard-core dame whose maternal instincts are eventually awakened. It was nice to see Frank McHugh in a somewhat atypical role of a worried father. Eric Linden was a real treasure. His emotional vulnerability bordering on hysteria worked well here. Some aspects of 1930s maternity care wouldn't fly today, but perhaps we've lost something in the sterile world of modern medicine. Tears flowed despite some of the tragedies and turnarounds being easy to predict. The babies were cute.
A glimpse back to when your grandparents (or great grandparents) were about to be brought into this world.
mark.waltz19 September 2018
Warning: Spoilers
One of the fascinating aspects of movies from the 1930's, 40's and 50's (etc.) is to see how society has changed over the years, and in one way where it has greatly advanced is in the world of healthcare and the medical field. This pre-code drama is one of those jarring looks at the lives of mothers to be, all put in a ward which caters to problem cases. Among them are an aging woman with several children already at home (Clara Blandick, "The Wizard of Oz"), a jaded single mother with no desire to even see her twins (Glenda Farrell), and a very young woman (Loretta Young) who has been sentenced to go to prison for murder, facing health issues due to her situation and the cruel treatment she has gotten into the system. When a nasty prison matron drops her off in the maternity ward, nurse Aline MacMahon puts on the act of being as stern as the matron, but that is instantly dropped once the matron (the size of a wrestler MacMahon amusingly refers to her as) exits. As a maternity ward nurse, MacMahon is the type of woman who has definitely chosen the right profession, and I'm sure her character would be asked to be the godmother to several of the children she helped bring into the world.
This is one of those films where you see tragedy recurring throughout the short span of time in which it takes place. An Italian woman, whose baby died, only briefly mourns her loss, becoming a source of milk for the babies whom Farrell does not even want to see. It is only when she realizes that her babies are being threatened with separation by a potentially cruel adoptive mother (Elizabeth Patterson) that Farrell wakes up from her sense of denial to see what she is missing out on. Young's fragile character is obviously a victim of circumstance, having been accused of killing a powerful politician, one who obviously took advantage of her in some situation. Eric Linden, as Young's husband, somehow seems like a boy compared to Loretta's young lady, so their marriage is questionable. But strong, compassionate nurse MacMahon is a godsend, not only to her mothers to be, but to the fathers to be as well, getting nervous pop Frank McHugh to take a break from waiting by sending him out on an errand, as well as sitting calmly with Linden to support him over the impending birth and the dangers of his wife's situation.
The script is very realistic in looking at the morals of the times, with repeat mom to be Blandick first offering sympathy to Young for her legal plight, yet passive/aggressively revealing her judgments for Young being convicted of murder. Even then, she provides a voice of reason, and it is obvious that the other patients look up to her as a woman of experience who knows exactly what she is talking about. Farrell at first is an ill-defined character, only revealing that she is "Miss", not "Mrs.", and dropping wisecracks and annoyed reactions to the hopeful attitudes of the other mothers. It is obvious that she is building up to a breakdown, so when she does, that moment is extremely powerful. This might be considered old fashioned mother love drama when compared to the situations women face today, so some of the attitudes will be considered dated and even sexist. There's no talk about a mother's duty to her unborn child, so the "a" word is never even uttered. That doesn't mean that there aren't some interesting pre-code elements that two years later would be considered forbidden, and from that aspect, this makes the film very interesting, and perhaps even less dated than its 1941 remake, "A Child is Born".
This is one of those films where you see tragedy recurring throughout the short span of time in which it takes place. An Italian woman, whose baby died, only briefly mourns her loss, becoming a source of milk for the babies whom Farrell does not even want to see. It is only when she realizes that her babies are being threatened with separation by a potentially cruel adoptive mother (Elizabeth Patterson) that Farrell wakes up from her sense of denial to see what she is missing out on. Young's fragile character is obviously a victim of circumstance, having been accused of killing a powerful politician, one who obviously took advantage of her in some situation. Eric Linden, as Young's husband, somehow seems like a boy compared to Loretta's young lady, so their marriage is questionable. But strong, compassionate nurse MacMahon is a godsend, not only to her mothers to be, but to the fathers to be as well, getting nervous pop Frank McHugh to take a break from waiting by sending him out on an errand, as well as sitting calmly with Linden to support him over the impending birth and the dangers of his wife's situation.
The script is very realistic in looking at the morals of the times, with repeat mom to be Blandick first offering sympathy to Young for her legal plight, yet passive/aggressively revealing her judgments for Young being convicted of murder. Even then, she provides a voice of reason, and it is obvious that the other patients look up to her as a woman of experience who knows exactly what she is talking about. Farrell at first is an ill-defined character, only revealing that she is "Miss", not "Mrs.", and dropping wisecracks and annoyed reactions to the hopeful attitudes of the other mothers. It is obvious that she is building up to a breakdown, so when she does, that moment is extremely powerful. This might be considered old fashioned mother love drama when compared to the situations women face today, so some of the attitudes will be considered dated and even sexist. There's no talk about a mother's duty to her unborn child, so the "a" word is never even uttered. That doesn't mean that there aren't some interesting pre-code elements that two years later would be considered forbidden, and from that aspect, this makes the film very interesting, and perhaps even less dated than its 1941 remake, "A Child is Born".
Another Great Pre-Code
Maleejandra14 March 2006
Life Begins is a wonderful pre-code film starring some of the best of the era. It is set in the maternity ward of a hospital, particularly in the room for the women expected to have trouble. In it is an older woman, a tough unwed mother (Glenda Farrell), a frail young woman, an Italian woman, and the main character (Loretta Young) who is spending 20 years in prison for murder. Her husband (Eric Linden) is at the hospital at every second aching to know that everything will be okay. Aline MacMahone plays the nurse who is great at her job.
This film is highly interesting and entertaining. It isn't terribly shocking in any way, but it is interesting to see such a neglected subject on the silver screen. The acting is brilliant all around. Loretta Young is gorgeous here in her prime. Eric Linden comes out of nowhere and is sincere as can be. His innocence is reminiscent of Michael J. Fox. Glenda Farrell is great as always, a staple of pre-codes and for good reason.
This film is highly interesting and entertaining. It isn't terribly shocking in any way, but it is interesting to see such a neglected subject on the silver screen. The acting is brilliant all around. Loretta Young is gorgeous here in her prime. Eric Linden comes out of nowhere and is sincere as can be. His innocence is reminiscent of Michael J. Fox. Glenda Farrell is great as always, a staple of pre-codes and for good reason.
An extremely strong film for 1932
vincentlynch-moonoi9 May 2015
Warning: Spoilers
The first 10 minutes of this 71 minute film is a waste used to look cute. Then we begin to get down to things -- that Loretta Young is about to deliver a child...even though she is in prison for killing a man.
The public has forgotten just how big a movie star Loretta Young was, and so far, virtually ever film I've seen her in shows why she was so popular. I can't say that Eric Linden, as the husband, is a very good actor, but he is adequate.
Aline MacMahon is along as the head nurse, and good as she always was. Frank McHugh is here, and for a change he has a pretty good supporting role that is dramatic, rather than comic. Glenda Farrell is good as a crusty woman. Gilbert Roland has a brief uncredited role. Preston Foster has a minor role as a doctor.
Although the film is a little silly in that first 10 minutes, it gets down to business quickly. This is really a very serious movie. Which way would you have gone with the moral dilemma in an era when things were not as they are today? For 1932, this is very good movie.
The public has forgotten just how big a movie star Loretta Young was, and so far, virtually ever film I've seen her in shows why she was so popular. I can't say that Eric Linden, as the husband, is a very good actor, but he is adequate.
Aline MacMahon is along as the head nurse, and good as she always was. Frank McHugh is here, and for a change he has a pretty good supporting role that is dramatic, rather than comic. Glenda Farrell is good as a crusty woman. Gilbert Roland has a brief uncredited role. Preston Foster has a minor role as a doctor.
Although the film is a little silly in that first 10 minutes, it gets down to business quickly. This is really a very serious movie. Which way would you have gone with the moral dilemma in an era when things were not as they are today? For 1932, this is very good movie.
This is a horrible film
1930s_Time_Machine14 October 2023
My first thoughts were that if I'd been a pregnant woman watching this in 1932 it would have scared the life out of me. It's absolutely terrifying. Then again, a pregnant woman in 1932 would have known how dangerous giving birth was anyway.
Whilst I really didn't enjoy this it did make me spend a couple of hours googling death rates during childbirth and in hospitals generally over the last few hundred years. (An activity more interesting than watching this.) it does make you appreciate how incredibly lucky we are to be alive now rather than then. If you watch enough 1930s films, that era doesn't seem that long ago but it's not just the attitudes that were so different then, medical treatment was frighteningly primitive. This film will now ruin your enjoyment of Laurel and Hardy's COUNTY HOSPITAL. You'll forevermore be thinking that Ollie's going to die in that place. Thanks for that Warner Brothers!
Back to this film - it just doesn't work. It's like a dull episode of a dull hospital soap in which you don't know or care about the characters. I think it does actually try to be positive but maybe it couldn't be as optimistic as it would be if made today - it had be be realistic in the context of 1932 so is necessarily miserable. You'll wish you'd not watched this. Another reason to avoid this is it's got Eric Linden in it.
Whilst I really didn't enjoy this it did make me spend a couple of hours googling death rates during childbirth and in hospitals generally over the last few hundred years. (An activity more interesting than watching this.) it does make you appreciate how incredibly lucky we are to be alive now rather than then. If you watch enough 1930s films, that era doesn't seem that long ago but it's not just the attitudes that were so different then, medical treatment was frighteningly primitive. This film will now ruin your enjoyment of Laurel and Hardy's COUNTY HOSPITAL. You'll forevermore be thinking that Ollie's going to die in that place. Thanks for that Warner Brothers!
Back to this film - it just doesn't work. It's like a dull episode of a dull hospital soap in which you don't know or care about the characters. I think it does actually try to be positive but maybe it couldn't be as optimistic as it would be if made today - it had be be realistic in the context of 1932 so is necessarily miserable. You'll wish you'd not watched this. Another reason to avoid this is it's got Eric Linden in it.
Good Young Film
Michael_Elliott28 February 2008
Life Begins (1932)
*** (out of 4)
The ultimate "chic flick" takes place in a maternity ward as various women discuss children, their lives and their hopes for the future. The entire cast including Loretta Young makes this thing worth watching. It's overly dramatic throughout and quite preachy and heavy handled but the charm of the cast makes it worth sitting through. The downbeat ending also packs a nice little punch.
As of now, most of Young's film remain unavailable on DVD so if you want to check her work you'll need to keep your eyes on Turner Classic Movies.
*** (out of 4)
The ultimate "chic flick" takes place in a maternity ward as various women discuss children, their lives and their hopes for the future. The entire cast including Loretta Young makes this thing worth watching. It's overly dramatic throughout and quite preachy and heavy handled but the charm of the cast makes it worth sitting through. The downbeat ending also packs a nice little punch.
As of now, most of Young's film remain unavailable on DVD so if you want to check her work you'll need to keep your eyes on Turner Classic Movies.
What Goes On In A Maternity Ward
boblipton9 January 2023
Aline MacMahon is the head floor nurse at a maternity hospital. Patients currently waiting to give birth include Loretta Young, who goes back to prison for murder after; Glenda Farrell, a single mother who wants to give away the twins she is to bear; Clara Blandick, who is here for the umpteenth time; and several others, who represent all the outcomes of gestation. There's a smattering of men, led by Eric Linden as Miss Young's adoring husband, and Frank McHugh; doctors; and medical students.
It's based on a play by Mary Axelson and the stories range from tear-jerking to almost silly, given the serious business that goes on. I thought it rather uneven, but averaged good. Miss Young and Linden are each rather one-note, Glenda Farrell is terrific, although she sings "Frankie and Johnny" unimpressively. It's a thoroughly pre-code movie without any of the sexual trapping usually associated with the period, just the outcomes.
It's based on a play by Mary Axelson and the stories range from tear-jerking to almost silly, given the serious business that goes on. I thought it rather uneven, but averaged good. Miss Young and Linden are each rather one-note, Glenda Farrell is terrific, although she sings "Frankie and Johnny" unimpressively. It's a thoroughly pre-code movie without any of the sexual trapping usually associated with the period, just the outcomes.
The Old Maternity Ward
view_and_review11 February 2024
I have to say, this movie packed quite a punch for its limited scope and setting.
The entire movie takes place in a hospital and largely in a maternity ward. Before pregnant women could have a room by themselves or with one other person, they shared a large room with numerous other prospective mothers.
In "Life Begins" several women were featured. The only commonality between them all was that they had given birth or were to give birth, besides that they were as different as can be; as were their pregnancies.
The main characters were Grace Sutton (Loretta Young), a prisoner, Florette (Glenda Farrell), a woman pregnant with twins who didn't want them, Miss Bowers (Aline MacMahon), the head nurse, Jed Sutton (Eric Linden), Grace's husband, and Ringer Banks (Frank McHugh), another husband.
They tried to pack as many different scenarios as they could in this picture: a woman who died in childbirth, a woman whose child died, a woman with twins, an unmarried woman, a first time child bearer, a veteran child bearer, and everything in between. To my surprise the movie was pretty good. The individual stories were all compelling in their own way. I'm just glad they don't do maternity wards like they used to.
Free on Odnoklassniki.
The entire movie takes place in a hospital and largely in a maternity ward. Before pregnant women could have a room by themselves or with one other person, they shared a large room with numerous other prospective mothers.
In "Life Begins" several women were featured. The only commonality between them all was that they had given birth or were to give birth, besides that they were as different as can be; as were their pregnancies.
The main characters were Grace Sutton (Loretta Young), a prisoner, Florette (Glenda Farrell), a woman pregnant with twins who didn't want them, Miss Bowers (Aline MacMahon), the head nurse, Jed Sutton (Eric Linden), Grace's husband, and Ringer Banks (Frank McHugh), another husband.
They tried to pack as many different scenarios as they could in this picture: a woman who died in childbirth, a woman whose child died, a woman with twins, an unmarried woman, a first time child bearer, a veteran child bearer, and everything in between. To my surprise the movie was pretty good. The individual stories were all compelling in their own way. I'm just glad they don't do maternity wards like they used to.
Free on Odnoklassniki.
Effective Pre-Code Soap Suds
Ron Oliver31 July 2003
The Waiting Womans Ward of a large lying-in hospital, with all its joys and sorrows, is the place where LIFE BEGINS.
This nearly forgotten drama is a fine little soap opera, replete with comedy and tragedy, all tied into the lives of the maternity staff and their patients. The frankness with which the subject matter is handled points up the movie's pre-Code status.
Marvelous Aline MacMahon, as the sympathetic head nurse, is the calm center of the film, the rock around which all the currents flow. Able to handle any crisis or emergency, she is the mothers' best, sometimes last, friend. Surrounding MacMahon is a bevy of excellent costars: Loretta Young as a convicted murderess released from prison long enough to give birth; Eric Linden as her frightened young husband; brassy Glenda Farrell as a dame who hates children; sweet Clara Blandick as a very mature mother in for her sixth birthing; Preston Foster & Hale Hamilton as thoughtful, compassionate doctors and Frank McHugh as a comically frantic father-to-be.
Movie mavens will recognize Bobs Watson as a wee tyke who wants to see the Stork; Paul Fix as a nervous husband who promises to behave like a `little soldier;' Gilbert Roland as a distraught Italian husband and Elizabeth Patterson as a snooty doctor's wife interested in adopting Farrell's son - all uncredited.
There are a few absurdities in the plot - some of the mothers are obviously much too old; Farrell becomes blatantly drunk in the Ward but none of the staff seem to notice; an obviously psychotic patient is able to wander around at will - but this really only enhances the quirky entertainment value of the film and keeps things from becoming too serious.
This nearly forgotten drama is a fine little soap opera, replete with comedy and tragedy, all tied into the lives of the maternity staff and their patients. The frankness with which the subject matter is handled points up the movie's pre-Code status.
Marvelous Aline MacMahon, as the sympathetic head nurse, is the calm center of the film, the rock around which all the currents flow. Able to handle any crisis or emergency, she is the mothers' best, sometimes last, friend. Surrounding MacMahon is a bevy of excellent costars: Loretta Young as a convicted murderess released from prison long enough to give birth; Eric Linden as her frightened young husband; brassy Glenda Farrell as a dame who hates children; sweet Clara Blandick as a very mature mother in for her sixth birthing; Preston Foster & Hale Hamilton as thoughtful, compassionate doctors and Frank McHugh as a comically frantic father-to-be.
Movie mavens will recognize Bobs Watson as a wee tyke who wants to see the Stork; Paul Fix as a nervous husband who promises to behave like a `little soldier;' Gilbert Roland as a distraught Italian husband and Elizabeth Patterson as a snooty doctor's wife interested in adopting Farrell's son - all uncredited.
There are a few absurdities in the plot - some of the mothers are obviously much too old; Farrell becomes blatantly drunk in the Ward but none of the staff seem to notice; an obviously psychotic patient is able to wander around at will - but this really only enhances the quirky entertainment value of the film and keeps things from becoming too serious.
Unappetising mush with a few interesting moments
bensonj7 March 2001
To heighten the drama of this sudsy maternity ward story, it's set in a special ward for "difficult cases." The main story is Loretta Young's; she's on leave from a long prison stretch for murder. Will the doctors save her baby at the cost of her life, or heed her husband's plea for the opposite? Melodrama and sentiment are dominant, and they're not the honest sort, to say the least. For example, just to keep things moving, this hospital has a psycho ward next door to the maternity ward, and lets a woman with a hysterical pregnancy wander about stealing babies.
There are just enough laughs and sarcasm for this to be recognizable as a Warners film, mostly from Glenda Farrell, who swigs gin from her hot-water bottle while she waits to have twins that, to her chagrin, she finds there's now a law against selling. An example of her repartee: "Be careful." Farrell: "It's too late to be careful." Aline MacMahon is of course wonderfully authoritative as the chief nurse, but don't expect her to be given a dramatic moment.
The main theme of the film is that the sight of a baby turns anyone to mush. Even given the obvious limitations, this film should have been better than it is.
There are just enough laughs and sarcasm for this to be recognizable as a Warners film, mostly from Glenda Farrell, who swigs gin from her hot-water bottle while she waits to have twins that, to her chagrin, she finds there's now a law against selling. An example of her repartee: "Be careful." Farrell: "It's too late to be careful." Aline MacMahon is of course wonderfully authoritative as the chief nurse, but don't expect her to be given a dramatic moment.
The main theme of the film is that the sight of a baby turns anyone to mush. Even given the obvious limitations, this film should have been better than it is.
Pre-Code Gem
nbroyles2 January 2013
I'm not one for weepers, but this film fascinated me. Not so much for the story or the acting, but for the frankness. If it wasn't for precode films, we would never have an honest glimpse of the issues of that era, which actually aren't too terribly different from our concerns in the present. This film tackles a C-Section, pregnancy/giving birth while incarcerated, adoption, losing a baby during childbirth, drinking during pregnancy, maternal bonding, and even hints at the kidnapping of an infant by a woman with mental heath issues who desperately longs for one of her own. Some issues are commonplace in this era, and some of the health concerns have been addressed due to scientific advancements and public awareness, but unfortunately, some issues are still being battled. We see some of the worst cases on the nightly news. It's strange to think we went from this open and honest format on women's heath issues to showing adults sleeping in single, separate beds. I sincerely wonder how censoring these realities set us all back? I recommend this to anyone fascinated by precode Hollywood films, who doesn't mind a little bit of melodrama.
My Nap Began
ArtVandelayImporterExporter20 January 2023
My rough estimate is that 98.7 per cent of films between ''Jolson sings" and the Hays Office's inception are film versions of terrible stage plays that nobody wanted to see in the first place. This movie is no exception.
Let's see. We have a maternity ward. Patients include a comic, a wise-acre, a lady old enough to be a granny. Nervous fathers.
It all plays out like a soap opera. Sorta like Grand Hotel, or Grand Hospital, if you will. Except with far inferior actors. Well, except for the magnificent Loretta Young, but she is so far and away better than this dreck I was embarrassed for her.
TCM fills its early-morning schedule with dreck like this. They're perfect on those days when you awake before dark but need to get at least another 90 minutes sleep. Pop this one on and drift off within minutes.
Let's see. We have a maternity ward. Patients include a comic, a wise-acre, a lady old enough to be a granny. Nervous fathers.
It all plays out like a soap opera. Sorta like Grand Hotel, or Grand Hospital, if you will. Except with far inferior actors. Well, except for the magnificent Loretta Young, but she is so far and away better than this dreck I was embarrassed for her.
TCM fills its early-morning schedule with dreck like this. They're perfect on those days when you awake before dark but need to get at least another 90 minutes sleep. Pop this one on and drift off within minutes.
A Showcase for Eric Linden and Loretta Young!!!
kidboots2 April 2012
Warning: Spoilers
Eric Linden said he was most proud of his work in "Are These Our Children" and "Life Begins". The first movie shot him to fame as "the tragedy boy of the screen" and the latter, I think, was his finest performance. He played a hysterical father, whose young wife is awaiting birth in the maternity ward. Loretta Young certainly gave some extra-ordinary performances that belied her chocolate box prettiness. I sometimes wonder what would have happened to her career if she had stayed at Warners. 20th Century Fox was definitely the studio to go to, to display her beauty. Eric Linden, was also an actor I didn't care much for initially, now I am wondering if he ever gave a bad performance.
This movie, with a chorus of crying babies and the song "Pretty Baby" sounding over the credits, might sound light weight but believe me it is anything but - things are all go in the maternity wing where life begins. There is tough as nails show girl Florette (at last a role Glenda Farrell can really sink her teeth into!!). She has gin stashed in her hot water bottle, has just been told she is having twins and is gleeful with joy when she realises a wealthy couple is interested in buying them!!! But, fear not, Florette really has a heart of gold and when she overhears the wife saying the little girl twin will be put in a home (something is not quite right with her) Florette finds her maternal instinct fast!!
Dorothy Peterson keeps popping up as a psychiatric patient who continually wanders around the maternity ward. Vivid Vivienne Osbourne who usually gives such emotionally charged performances has little to do here as a wealthy patient Mrs. McGilvray. There is a split second look of fear from Grace (Young) as the nurse mentions her name. Grace has come from prison where she is serving a long sentence for killing a wealthy politician - was it Mr. McGilvray?? That storyline wasn't taken anywhere - were there some cuts made??? Among other mothers were Gloria Shea, Ruthelma Stevens who I always thought was very good in "The Circus Queen Murder" (she was Adolphe Menjou's efficient secretary) and presiding over them all was the wonderful Aline MacMahon as the brisk but kindly Nurse Bowers.
But the movie really belongs to Eric Linden and Loretta Young. Linden has some excellent scenes as the worried husband who only wants the best care for his wife - the ending has him showing restrained emotion. Young is just perfection as Grace who even while having her own unsolvable problems has an aura of calm, especially when she copes with the pitiable mental patient and the young Mexican mother who has not been told her baby has died. An uncredited Gilbert Roland plays her husband.
This movie, with a chorus of crying babies and the song "Pretty Baby" sounding over the credits, might sound light weight but believe me it is anything but - things are all go in the maternity wing where life begins. There is tough as nails show girl Florette (at last a role Glenda Farrell can really sink her teeth into!!). She has gin stashed in her hot water bottle, has just been told she is having twins and is gleeful with joy when she realises a wealthy couple is interested in buying them!!! But, fear not, Florette really has a heart of gold and when she overhears the wife saying the little girl twin will be put in a home (something is not quite right with her) Florette finds her maternal instinct fast!!
Dorothy Peterson keeps popping up as a psychiatric patient who continually wanders around the maternity ward. Vivid Vivienne Osbourne who usually gives such emotionally charged performances has little to do here as a wealthy patient Mrs. McGilvray. There is a split second look of fear from Grace (Young) as the nurse mentions her name. Grace has come from prison where she is serving a long sentence for killing a wealthy politician - was it Mr. McGilvray?? That storyline wasn't taken anywhere - were there some cuts made??? Among other mothers were Gloria Shea, Ruthelma Stevens who I always thought was very good in "The Circus Queen Murder" (she was Adolphe Menjou's efficient secretary) and presiding over them all was the wonderful Aline MacMahon as the brisk but kindly Nurse Bowers.
But the movie really belongs to Eric Linden and Loretta Young. Linden has some excellent scenes as the worried husband who only wants the best care for his wife - the ending has him showing restrained emotion. Young is just perfection as Grace who even while having her own unsolvable problems has an aura of calm, especially when she copes with the pitiable mental patient and the young Mexican mother who has not been told her baby has died. An uncredited Gilbert Roland plays her husband.
A Labor of Love
lugonian12 January 2013
LIFE BEGINS (First National Pictures, 1932), directed by James Flood, co-directed by Elliott Nugent, is a hospital melodrama set mostly in the maternity ward. Written by Mary McDougal-Averson, it's something of a forerunner to the many hospital related themes in later years, ranging from the "Doctor Kildare/Gillespie" film series for MGM (1938-1947); to various television adaptations whether being daytime soap-operas or evening hourly shows. The film itself should be commented for its originality, by 1932 standards anyway. The assortment of familiar Warner Brothers stock players is highly impressive to say the least with the slightly blondish Loretta Young heading the cast. While essentially the central character, co-stars Eric Linden and Aline MacMahon stand out for their natural performances, real enough for any viewer to shed a tear or two along the way.
The opening credits start as the camera pans through the nursery of crying babies before cast and crew are screened and titled as the orchestration underscores the popular tune of "Pretty Baby." Set in an un-named hospital at an undisclosed location (probably California), the plot introduces several expectant mothers (without looking pregnant) leaving their nervous husbands as they're escorted to the maternity ward. Miss Bowers (Aline MacMahon), the head nurse, aside from seeing that everything goes accordingly to rule, also becomes involved in the lives of her patients. Noticing that Ringer Banks (Frank McHugh) is upset and worried that his wife, Gladys (Gloria Shea) might have a miscarriage as she did the first one, sends him out on an errand long enough for he to forget his troubles. Mrs. Greydt (Clara Blandick) awaits for the birth of her sixth child while Florette LaVerne (Glenda Farrell), a showgirl drinking snuck-in liquor from her water bottle, learns from Doctor Tubby (Walter Walker) she's to become the mother of twins. Not wanting anything to do with her babies, she makes arrangements to have them adopted for a price. Jed Sutton (Eric Linden), a youthful father-to-be whose case happens to be different from all the others, enters the scene. It is revealed his wife, Grace (Loretta Young), sentenced to life in prison for murder, is to arrive at the hospital escorted and handcuffed to a stern prison matron (Helena Phillips), and returned to prison after having her baby. As situations begin to resolve themselves, Jed is approached by Doctor Cranin (Hale Hamilton) to make a very tough decision regarding both his wife and unborn child.
While basically a woman's movie with a majority of females in the cast, male actors contribute to the story as well, including Preston Foster (Doctor Brett); Gilbert Roland (Tony, an Italian father); Walter Walker (Doctor Tubby) and Paul Fix (The Crying Father). The uncredited Mary Phillips has a sizable role as Nurse Pinty, while Dorothy Peterson adds some tension and emotion as the mentally-unbalanced patient wanting a baby of her own, even to a point of sneaking out a new-born from the nursery without being noticed. Also seen in smaller roles are Vivienne Osborne and Elizabeth Patterson. Released prior to the production code enforcement, LIFE BEGINS can be credited for its honesty and bluntness of certain situations, especially with one of the expectant mothers addressing herself as MISS Laughton (Ruthelma Stevens) rather than concealing the fact she's not married.
As with most Hollywood themed originals, LIFE BEGINS was remade by Warner Brothers as A CHILD IS BORN (1939), featuring Geraldine Fitzgerald, Jeffrey Lynn, Gale Page, Spring Byington, Gladys George, Eve Arden in the Young, Linden, MacMahon, Blandick, Farrell and Phillips roles. Following its basic pattern, the retelling, slightly longer that its 72 minutes, was less blunt in dialog and situations. Though still quite good of its kind, it simply didn't measure up to the original. Both editions to the Mary McDougal-Averson story can be seen whenever broadcast on Turner Classic Movies cable channel. Regardless of its age, LIFE RETURNS can still leave a lasting impact long after it's over. (**** diapers)
The opening credits start as the camera pans through the nursery of crying babies before cast and crew are screened and titled as the orchestration underscores the popular tune of "Pretty Baby." Set in an un-named hospital at an undisclosed location (probably California), the plot introduces several expectant mothers (without looking pregnant) leaving their nervous husbands as they're escorted to the maternity ward. Miss Bowers (Aline MacMahon), the head nurse, aside from seeing that everything goes accordingly to rule, also becomes involved in the lives of her patients. Noticing that Ringer Banks (Frank McHugh) is upset and worried that his wife, Gladys (Gloria Shea) might have a miscarriage as she did the first one, sends him out on an errand long enough for he to forget his troubles. Mrs. Greydt (Clara Blandick) awaits for the birth of her sixth child while Florette LaVerne (Glenda Farrell), a showgirl drinking snuck-in liquor from her water bottle, learns from Doctor Tubby (Walter Walker) she's to become the mother of twins. Not wanting anything to do with her babies, she makes arrangements to have them adopted for a price. Jed Sutton (Eric Linden), a youthful father-to-be whose case happens to be different from all the others, enters the scene. It is revealed his wife, Grace (Loretta Young), sentenced to life in prison for murder, is to arrive at the hospital escorted and handcuffed to a stern prison matron (Helena Phillips), and returned to prison after having her baby. As situations begin to resolve themselves, Jed is approached by Doctor Cranin (Hale Hamilton) to make a very tough decision regarding both his wife and unborn child.
While basically a woman's movie with a majority of females in the cast, male actors contribute to the story as well, including Preston Foster (Doctor Brett); Gilbert Roland (Tony, an Italian father); Walter Walker (Doctor Tubby) and Paul Fix (The Crying Father). The uncredited Mary Phillips has a sizable role as Nurse Pinty, while Dorothy Peterson adds some tension and emotion as the mentally-unbalanced patient wanting a baby of her own, even to a point of sneaking out a new-born from the nursery without being noticed. Also seen in smaller roles are Vivienne Osborne and Elizabeth Patterson. Released prior to the production code enforcement, LIFE BEGINS can be credited for its honesty and bluntness of certain situations, especially with one of the expectant mothers addressing herself as MISS Laughton (Ruthelma Stevens) rather than concealing the fact she's not married.
As with most Hollywood themed originals, LIFE BEGINS was remade by Warner Brothers as A CHILD IS BORN (1939), featuring Geraldine Fitzgerald, Jeffrey Lynn, Gale Page, Spring Byington, Gladys George, Eve Arden in the Young, Linden, MacMahon, Blandick, Farrell and Phillips roles. Following its basic pattern, the retelling, slightly longer that its 72 minutes, was less blunt in dialog and situations. Though still quite good of its kind, it simply didn't measure up to the original. Both editions to the Mary McDougal-Averson story can be seen whenever broadcast on Turner Classic Movies cable channel. Regardless of its age, LIFE RETURNS can still leave a lasting impact long after it's over. (**** diapers)
An unusual precode topic with a great ensemble cast
AlsExGal3 April 2023
This WB precode involves life in a hospital maternity ward for "difficult cases" for a couple of days. The central case is that of Grace Sutton (Loretta Young), transferred from prison where she is serving life for murder. As the film progresses it becomes clear through bits and pieces of conversation that she murdered a politician and that is probably why she was found guilty. Since so many people are saying "he deserved it", the assumption is that the guy might have attacked her and she was defending herself. Her husband, Jed (Eric Lyndon) is devoted to her.
Because it's a ward, you have a variety of interesting characters including an unwed mother of twins (Glenda Farrell) who wants to put them up for adoption for a price and smuggles alcohol into her hot water bottle, an older woman (Clara Blandick) who is having her seventh child, an immigrant woman whose baby dies, and other assorted characters. A woman from the psychiatric ward who thinks she's had a baby keeps wandering down to the ward and bothering the women. At one point she steals a baby from the nursery and claims it is her own. Through it all, Aline McMahon is the compassionate nurse of the ward.
From a recluse's point of view, I'd have to say that staying more than an hour in this place would drive me crazy - The nosey questions, the loud behavior, waiting for the crazy psychiatric patient to show up and ask me if I've seen her baby, and so on. Has anybody in this hospital ever heard of locking up dangerous mental patients? But I digress.
One of the more humorous things that goes on is Aline McMahon's head nurse sending the nervous dads on wild goose chase errands to get them out of her hair. One of the unintentional humorous things going on is Clara Blandick, 56 when this film was made, playing an expectant mother! Ms. Blandick did not look old for her age, but neither did she look much younger than that age either.
I'd recommend this one, but the end is a bittersweet, like so many Warner Brothers precodes that don't mind taking you on a wild ride.
Because it's a ward, you have a variety of interesting characters including an unwed mother of twins (Glenda Farrell) who wants to put them up for adoption for a price and smuggles alcohol into her hot water bottle, an older woman (Clara Blandick) who is having her seventh child, an immigrant woman whose baby dies, and other assorted characters. A woman from the psychiatric ward who thinks she's had a baby keeps wandering down to the ward and bothering the women. At one point she steals a baby from the nursery and claims it is her own. Through it all, Aline McMahon is the compassionate nurse of the ward.
From a recluse's point of view, I'd have to say that staying more than an hour in this place would drive me crazy - The nosey questions, the loud behavior, waiting for the crazy psychiatric patient to show up and ask me if I've seen her baby, and so on. Has anybody in this hospital ever heard of locking up dangerous mental patients? But I digress.
One of the more humorous things that goes on is Aline McMahon's head nurse sending the nervous dads on wild goose chase errands to get them out of her hair. One of the unintentional humorous things going on is Clara Blandick, 56 when this film was made, playing an expectant mother! Ms. Blandick did not look old for her age, but neither did she look much younger than that age either.
I'd recommend this one, but the end is a bittersweet, like so many Warner Brothers precodes that don't mind taking you on a wild ride.
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