Poseidon-3 Review of No Sad Songs for Me

No Sad Songs for Me (1950)

Title belies some hand-wringing, but Sullavan and company keep it afloat.

[11 January 2008]

Cancer was still something to be whispered about in 1950 (and, of course, it was less prevalent then than it's become in the meantime) and the rather melodramatic way in which it's uttered here can be quite a surprise to modern viewers. Thankfully, some sensitive acting and pretty well modulated direction help keep this film from getting too far out of hand, though it does get a tad sticky, despite the title. Sullavan plays a housewife, devoted to her engineer husband Corey and their precocious daughter Wood, who goes in to see her doctor (McIntire) about a potential pregnancy, but, instead, is told that she has an advanced case of cancer. Determining that she has about 10 months to live, only 6 of them fully on her feet, she decides to keep this from her family and attempt to live as normal a life as possible. Looking more wan with each passing weak (not something ascertained by the black and white photography, but indicated by Sullavan's continual application of blush and the pinching of her cheeks to add color!), she frets about the fate of her family after she's gone. As it turns out, things may not be too horrible for them after all since Corey has hired a lovely Swedish "draftsman" in the form of Lindfors who he works with in close proximity and for long hours. It isn't long before Corey is placing Lindfors in the sites of his surveying scope and he doesn't even know that Sullavan is sick! The town hens begin to pick up on it, though, and when they warn Sullavan, she thinks about how to turn lemons into lemonade. Sullavan, in her last big screen role, is sincere and strong in a part that could easily have veered into camp. Looking a bit like June Allyson in certain shots, she elicits viewer compassion even though the bulk of the trouble she takes on, apart from the disease, is her own fault! It's quite preposterous that a woman could deteriorate and die from cancer with no one in her presence aware that she's ill, but Sullavan pulls it off as well as anyone could. Corey is appealing and multi-dimensional. His affection for Sullavan and his attraction for Lindfors are palpable. Lindfors does an admirable job, not allowing herself to be painted just one color either. A very gangly Wood is uncharacteristically grating here, overacting in some moments and coming off as a pest in others. McIntire's role makes little sense. One minute he's trying to inform Corey of Sullavan's illness without informing HER and then he's content to let Corey go uninformed until the 11th hour! He also gives her nearly a year to live, but with no procedures or treatment aside from painkillers. If this is a glimpse into the ethics and integrity of doctors in the 1950's, we have certainly come a long way since. His real life wife Nolan plays the same in the film. The premise is far-fetched to be sure (and has been done, variously, many times in movies and on TV), but somehow the cast and director make it work to a great extent. Look out for the New Years Eve party that contains more streamers than can be imagined! Sullavan, an actress who frequently died on screen and who portrayed attempted suicide victims a couple of times (including here) actually took her own life with an overdose about a decade after this film was released when depression and a congenital defect took away her hearing.