Unwed Mother (1958)

Director:

Walter Doniger

Writers:

Anson Bond (screenplay)
Anson Bond (story)
(more)

Release Date:

23 November 1958 (USA)

Genre:

Drama

Tagline:

Over twenty thousand girls every year live this bitter story!

Plot Keywords:

Pregnancy

Cast

Norma Moore	...	Betty Miller
Robert Vaughn	...	Don Bigelow
Diana Darrin	...	Mousie
Billie Bird	...	Gertie
Jeanne Cooper	...	Mrs. Horton
Ron Hargrave	...	Ben
Kathleen Hughes	...	Linda
Sam Buffington	...	Mr. Paully
Claire Carleton	...	Mrs. Miller
Colette Jackson	...	Louella (as Collette Jackson)
Timothy Carey	...	Doctor
Barbara Crane
Eve McVeagh
Ken Lynch	...	Ray Curtis
Dorothy Adams	...	Mrs. Paully
Joan Lora	...	Mary Ellen
Ralph Gamble	...	Minister
Milano Kay
Vera Ferguson
Elizabeth Slifer		(as Liz Slifer)
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Dawn Richard
Craig Slocum	...	(uncredited)

Directed by
Walter Doniger		(as Walter A. Doniger)

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Anson Bond		screenplay
Anson Bond		story
Alden Nash		screenplay

Produced by
Maurice Horn	....	associate producer
Joseph Justman	....	producer

Original Music by
Emil Newman

Cinematography by
Lothrop B. Worth		(as Lothrop Worth)

Film Editing by
Neil Brunnenkant

Art Direction by
Dave Milton		(as David Milton)

Set Decoration by
Joseph Kish

Makeup Department
Phillip Scheer	....	makeup artist (as Philip Scheer)
Kay Shea	....	hair stylist

Production Management
Jack R. Berne	....	production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Robert H. Justman	....	assistant director (as Bob Justman)

Art Department
Ted Mossman	....	property
James West	....	construction supervisor

Sound Department
Charles G. Schelling	....	sound editor (as Charles Schelling)
Jack Solomon	....	sound engineer

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Charles Arrico	....	wardrobe (as Chuck Arrico)
Pauline Lewis	....	wardrobe

Editorial Department
Lou Moss	....	supervising editor

Music Department
Lee Osborne	....	music editor

Other crew
Mollie Kent	....	set continuity (as Molly Kent)

Production Companies

• Allied Artists Pictures

Distributors

• Allied Artists Pictures (1958) (USA) (theatrical)
• VCI Home Video (2006) (USA) (DVD)
• Kit Parker Films (2005) (worldwide) (all media)
• Kit Parker Films (2006) (worldwide) (all media)
• Video Beat (????) (USA) (DVD)
• Video Beat (????) (USA) (VHS)

Runtime:

74 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Westrex Recording System)

Company:

Allied Artists Pictures

Goofs:

Continuity: At the very end of the movie, Reverend Benton, in a 1953 Chevrolet 4-door sedan, drives Betty to retrieve her baby from the older couple. Then, with baby, they leave the scene in a 1950 Chevrolet 2-door sedan.

Soundtrack:

Unwed Mother

Like a low-budget version of "Room at the Top".

The film begins with a nice girl moving to town and getting a job in a department store. Soon she meets a smooth playboy-type (Robert Vaughn) and it's obvious to every viewer that his an insincere jerk. However, the girl (Norma Moore) is not only naive but a bit dumb and she eventually falls for his routine. Over time, he bleeds her of money and pretends to love her while he chases other women at the same time.

Eventually, the lady proves she's actually a lot dumber than we'd first suspected. Not only does she reject her mother's advice to leave the jerk, but gets pulled into a robbery with him! When they are arrested, the real shocker is revealed...she is pregnant. Now the once nice girl is expecting a baby AND on probation! What will she do with no place to go and no way to provide for the little tyke? Will she have an abortion, put it up for adoption or keep it herself? the entire second half of the film has to do with this dilemma--and is the stronger half of the film.

While this is NOT a great film, it is certainly interesting. I think it's biggest shortcoming is that Robert Vaughn's character is so transparent and slimy that you really are forced to see Moore as less a victim and more a complete idiot. Had they made her a tad less dumb, I think the film might have been easier to believe.

By the way, while it's NOT a perfect parallel, the film did remind me a lot of the film "Room at the Top"---which also featured an incredibly amoral man sleeping and scheming his way ahead in life. This is a much better film and well worth seeing. "Unwed Mother", on the other hand, is only okay...and certainly not one to rush out to see.