Seed

I went in with mixed feelings, because it was a soaper, yet it starred three treasured actresses; Genevieve Tobin, Lois Wilson and Bette Davis; yet it was directed by John M. Stahl, who did a lot of women's pictures, most of which bore me to tears.

So did this one, given the glue-like pacing of the direction. It's an intelligent script about how Tobin and Wilson fight over John Boles, Miss Wilson's husband and father of her five children, one of whom grows up to be Miss Davis. Lois is a hapless creature, described as "clinging" by Miss Tobin early on, who tries to do things, fails, and then punishes others. When Boles says "I wouldn't sell the children for a million dollars -- but I wouldn't give a nickel for them", she cuts him off. When her efforts to make his home office quiet enough so he can work there fail, she takes the children and leaves for California -- and winds up three blocks away.

Stuff like that. If there was someone to actually root for, I would, but the children are annoying, Miss Tobin has her own agenda and Mr. Boles is clueless.

At 96 minutes for this, I lose patience. Can't people suffer just as much in 76 minutes?