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Bachelor Mother (1939)

Approved | | Comedy, Romance | 4 August 1939 (USA)
Bachelor Mother Poster
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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Writers:

(screen play), (story)

Stars:

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Nominated for 1 Oscar. See more awards »

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Bachelor Mother
Jan 05 1933
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Bachelor Mother
Jan 05 1933
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Bachelor Mother (1932)
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As punishment for speeding, a young man is forced to "adopt" a mother from a local old-age home in the hopes that she can help change his life.

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Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
... Polly Parrish
... David Merlin
... J. B. Merlin
... Freddie Miller
... Merlin's Butler
Elbert Coplen Jr. ... Johnnie - the Baby
Ferike Boros ... Mrs. Weiss - the Landlady
... Orphanage Investigator
... Jerome Weiss
... Hargraves
... Orphanage Doctor
... Orphanage Matron
... Mary
... Louise King
Donald Duck ... Donald Duck
See full cast »
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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 Summary | Add Synopsis

Plot Keywords:

screwball comedy | mistaken for unwed mother | single mother | reference to kipling's gunga din | mistaken identity | See All (13) »

Taglines:

Just ten baby fingers and ten baby toes--Troubles? Scandal?--Gosh--Nobody Knows See more »

Genres:

Comedy | Romance

Certificate:

Approved | See all certifications »

Parents Guide:

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Details

Country:

Language:

Release Date:

4 August 1939 (USA)  »

Also Known As:

Little Mother  »

Filming Locations:

 »

Company Credits

Production Co:

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Technical Specs

Runtime:

Sound Mix:

(RCA Victor System)

Color:

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1
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Did You Know?

Trivia

"The Screen Guild Theater" broadcast a 30 minute radio adaptation of the movie on May 6, 1946 with Ginger Rogers and David Niven reprising their film roles. 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

David Merlin: [Reads from a book on raising children, telling Polly how to feed the baby] After the food is prepared, the mother will, A, get a spoon.
Polly: Wonderful! How'd he ever think of that?
David Merlin: Now please, don't be so smart. Just do as he says - get a spoon.
Polly: [She holds up the spoon she had been using to feed the baby] Spoon!
David Merlin: B, take a spoonful of the food and place it upon a piece of gauze... Piece of gauze?
Polly: What for?
David Merlin: Uh, please, just do as he says. It's quite possible that man with 20 years experience might know...
[...]
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 »

Connections

Featured in Hollywood the Golden Years: The RKO Story: Howard's Way (1987) See more »

Soundtracks

Rock-a-Bye Baby
(1886) (uncredited)
Music by Effie I. Canning
Variations often in the score
See more »

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User Reviews

 
Great entertainment!!!!
2 February 2011 | by – See all my reviews

One of the best Ginger Rogers' movies....She proves to be a complete actress indeed, not only just a dancer (even if she was so talented!). The story and the script are witty and they work, not a bit of boredom, counting on the fact that certain things weren't quite disputable then. A "solo" mother was rather to blame....the movie brings in to question a tabù and it's done with class. It keeps a particular far-sighted way of seeing things they had in the late 30s....on my opinion of course. But they lost it after the war. Anyway about Rogers...well, she's great! Niven is one of my favourite actors and together they make a very fine couple....unusual but fine. Must see it! I highly recommend it
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