Close to My Heart (1951)

User Rating:

6.7/10   

Director:

William Keighley

Writers:

James R. Webb (novel)
James R. Webb (screenplay)

Release Date:

1 January 1951 (USA)

Genre:

Drama

Plot Keywords:

Beautiful Woman | Adoption | Infertility | Based On Novel

Cast

Ray Milland	...	Brad Sheridan
Gene Tierney	...	Midge Sheridan
Fay Bainter	...	Mrs. Morrow
Howard St. John	...	I.O. Frost
Mary Beth Hughes	...	Arlene
Ann Morrison	...	Mrs. Barker
James Seay	...	Everett C. Heilner alias Edward C. Hewitt
Baby John Winslow	...	Baby Danny (as Baby John)
Eddie Marr	...	Taxi Driver Dunne

Runtime:

90 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (RCA Sound System)

Certification:

Finland:S

Company:

Warner Bros. Pictures

What a mean adoption agency!

This is a pretty good little film about a couple adopting a baby. It works best when it is looking at the couple at home dealing with the new child, or when they adopt a puppy as a substitute. This is all quite charming and although Gene Tierney is a little cloyingly sweet at times (and I might add ravishingly beautiful), Ray Milland is very good. Where the film is less successful is when it traces Milland's search for the baby's real parents - this all becomes a tad melodramatic. And Fay Bainter's oh-so-well-meaning adoption agency supervisor comes over as so mean and heartless in her treatment of Tierney that the film becomes unbelievable. She tortures the poor woman! Milland's final impassioned monologue to Bainter is impossible for any actor to play but Milland has a good stab at it. Overall very entertaining.