An unemployed woman discovers an abandoned baby on the steps of an orphanage, and accepts an offer to take responsibility for the child in return for a job.
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Title: Bachelor Mother (1939)
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Nominated for
1
Oscar.
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Edit
Cast
| Cast overview, first billed only: | |||
| Ginger Rogers | ... | Polly Parrish | |
| David Niven | ... | David Merlin | |
| Charles Coburn | ... | J. B. Merlin | |
| Frank Albertson | ... | Freddie Miller | |
| E.E. Clive | ... | Merlin's Butler | |
 |
Elbert Coplen Jr. | ... | Johnnie - the Baby |
|
|
Ferike Boros | ... | Mrs. Weiss - the Landlady |
| Ernest Truex | ... | Orphanage Investigator | |
| Leonard Penn | ... | Jerome Weiss | |
| Paul Stanton | ... | Hargraves | |
| Frank M. Thomas | ... | Orphanage Doctor | |
| Edna Holland | ... | Orphanage Matron | |
| Dennie Moore | ... | Mary | |
| June Wilkins | ... | Louise King | |
|
|
Donald Duck | ... | Donald Duck |
Edit
Plot Summary
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Add Synopsis
See All (14) »
Storyline
Polly Parrish, a clerk at Merlin's Department Store, is mistakenly presumed to be the mother of a foundling. Outraged at Polly's unmotherly conduct, David Merlin becomes determined to keep the single woman and "her" baby together. Written by Diana Hamilton <hamilton@gl.umbc.edu>
Plot Keywords:
screwball comedy | mistaken for unwed mother | single mother | reference to kipling's gunga din | mistaken identity |Taglines:
Just ten baby fingers and ten baby toes--Troubles? Scandal?--Gosh--Nobody Knows See more »Parents Guide:
Add content advisory for parents »
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See full technical specs »
Details
Country:
USALanguage:
EnglishRelease Date:
4 August 1939 (USA) See more »Also Known As:
Little Mother See more »Company Credits
Show more on
IMDbPro »
Technical Specs
Runtime:
Sound Mix:
Mono (RCA Victor System)Color:
Black and WhiteAspect Ratio:
1.37 : 1
Edit
David Merlin: Oh, yes.
Polly: Oh, don't leave me. I won't know how to talk to these people.
David Merlin: Just say no to the men. The girls probably won't talk to you anyway.
See more »
(1788) (uncredited)
Traditional Scottish 17th century music
Lyrics by Robert Burns
Sung by a mob on New Year's Eve
See more »
Did You Know?
Trivia
"The Screen Guild Theater" broadcast a 30 minute radio adaptation of the movie on February 1, 1942 with Charles Coburn reprising his film role. See more »Goofs
Since the film was released in August 1939, the New Year's Eve celebration shown has to be 31 December 1938. In this scene a theatre is prominently seen, showing Irene Dunne and Charles Boyer in Love Affair, obviously a promotional moment for another well known RKO feature, but Love Affair was not released until April 1939 so could not have possibly been shown at any theatre on the preceding New Year's Eve. See more »Quotes
Waiter: Good evening, Mr. Merlin. Your party's right over there.David Merlin: Oh, yes.
Polly: Oh, don't leave me. I won't know how to talk to these people.
David Merlin: Just say no to the men. The girls probably won't talk to you anyway.
See more »
Crazy Credits
The cast of characters includes a wind-up toy: Donald Duck as himself. Ginger Rogers' character was in charge of a display table full of the Donald Duck toys. See more »Alternate Versions
Also available in a computer colorized version. See more »Soundtracks
Auld Lang Syne(1788) (uncredited)
Traditional Scottish 17th century music
Lyrics by Robert Burns
Sung by a mob on New Year's Eve
See more »
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How many of us can sympathize with this? Your job is hanging precariously, your social life is not what it could be, and customer service won't let you return a malfunctioning Donald Duck toy without a receipt in triplicate.
This is the irresistible comic situation for the forgotten classic "Bachelor Mother". A young, urbane department store worker happens to run across a baby left on a social office's doorstep. Under the circumstances she is confused as the mother of the baby. She flatly denies this but no one will believe her including her boss, a wealthy, prim David Niven. Following a comedy of errors reminiscent of a Shakespeare play these two are thrown together and Niven is then assumed to be the baby's father by his own father, the inimitable Charles Coburn. The movies dances dizzyingly from one comic scenario to another, including a scene where Niven misdirects Rodgers to rub baby food into the baby's navel, and the cathartic comic moment where Niven, the store manager disguised a customer, demands to have his Donald Duck toy returned, to no avail.
Niven: "What is wrong with our Sales Return desk?"
Rodgers: "They don't return anything!"
Filled with scintillating wit, bubbling chemistry and a feel-good plot it is the perfect comedy to enjoy over and over again.