To Each His Own (1946)

An unwed mother, forced to give up her child to avoid scandal, follows her son's life from afar even as she prospers in business.

Director:

Mitchell Leisen

Writers:

Charles Brackett (screenplay), Jacques Théry (screenplay) (as Jacques Thery)

Stars:

Olivia de Havilland, John Lund, Mary Anderson

Won 1 Oscar. Another 2 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Olivia de Havilland	...	Jody Norris (as Olivia De Havilland)
Mary Anderson	...	Corinne Piersen
Roland Culver	...	Lord Desham
Phillip Terry	...	Alex Piersen
Bill Goodwin	...	Mac Tilton
Virginia Welles	...	Liz Lorimer
Victoria Horne	...	Nurse Daisy Gingras
Griff Barnett	...	Daniel Norris
Alma Macrorie	...	Belle Ingram
Billy Ward	...	Gregory - Younger (as Bill Ward)
Frank Faylen	...	Babe
Willard Robertson	...	Dr. Hunt
Arthur Loft	...	Bernadock Clinton
Virginia Farmer	...	Mrs. Cora Clinton
Doris Lloyd	...	Miss Pringle

Storyline

During World War I, small-town girl Josephine Norris has an illegitimate son by an itinerant pilot. After a scheme to adopt him ends up giving him to another family, she devotes her life to loving him from afar.

---

Plot Keywords:

announcement of pregnancy | loneliness | adopted son | cosmetics | small town | 

---

Taglines:

A Great Picture! You'll Thrill to Every Moment!

---

Genres:

Drama | Romance

---

Certificate:

Approved

Did You Know?

Trivia

One of over 700 Paramount Productions, filmed between 1929 and 1949, which were sold to MCA/Universal in 1958 for television distribution, and have been owned and controlled by Universal ever since. Its initial television broadcast took place in Omaha Sunday 28 December 1958 on KETV (Channel 7), and soon became a popular local favorite as it was first aired in Seattle 10 January 1959 on KIRO (Channel 7), and in St. Louis 16 May 1959 on KMOX (Channel 4). In Detroit, WJBK (Channel 2), spread it out over three days, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday 21, 22, and 23 October 1959. In Milwaukee it was first telecast 10 November 1959 on WITI (Channel 6), in Johnstown 4 December 1959 on WJAC (Channel 6), and in Chicago 19 December 1959 on WBBM (Channel 2). In more recent years it's had occasional airings on cable TV on Turner Classic Movies.

---

Goofs

When Captain Cosgrove shuts off the power to his biplane it continues to glide on a level path. Biplanes have very high drag because they have two wings and all the supports in between. The plane would have started to fall toward the ground, not continue on. The clouds in the background show a level path of travel.

---

Quotes

Lord Desham: We're cut from the same strip of cloth, you know, you and I? The sort of forlorn people that do extra duty on the holidays... so someone else can celebrate.
Miss Josephine 'Jody' Norris: Hah! Maybe you're forlorn.
Lord Desham: Where'd you spend Christmas?
Miss Josephine 'Jody' Norris: On another roof.
[On London's night time bombing watch]

---

Connections

Referenced in That Girl: To Each Her Own (1967)

---

Soundtracks

Three Little Fishies (Itty Bitty Poo)
Word & Music by Saxie Dowell

User Reviews

Olivia de Havilland's 1946 Oscar Well Deserved

After winning her two-year court battle with Warner Bros., OLIVIA DE HAVILLAND became a free-lancer and got her big chance when Paramount offered her TO EACH HIS OWN, a script that had already been turned down by Ingrid Bergman and Ginger Rogers. Everyone shines in this movie, from the leads (OLIVIA DE HAVILLAND and JOHN LUND) to the smallest bit players.

De Havilland was perfect as Jody Norris, realistically portraying a young girl of seventeen and then various stages of maturity, ending as a brusque, middle-aged business woman in war-torn London of 1944. Her range as an actress is fully demonstrated and she does a remarkable job of playing the heroine at various stages of development.

John Lund is excellent too in a dual role (her lover and later her grown son), Bill Goodwin as a good-hearted pal, Philip Terry as another suitor who still loves her after marrying her friend (Mary Anderson). Anderson never had a better role than she does as the jealous, neurotic wife unwilling to let Jody have her own child back.

An intelligent script, detailed period direction by Mitch Leisen, fine background score by Victor Young and memorable moments from every player in the large cast. This is one Madame X kind of story that still holds up today. Probably the best soap-opera of the '40s, played to the hilt by a wonderful cast.

I would be remiss if I didn't mention Roland Culver as Lord Desham. Brilliant performance. And on top of all the drama, there's a lot of humor and touches of real Americana, especially in the early scenes depicting Jody's small-town life.

Summing up: This was a huge box-office hit in the summer of '46 and re-ignited Olivia's career after a three year absence from the screen.

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

12 March 1946 (USA)

Also Known As:

To Each His Own

Filming Locations:

Paramount Studios - 5555 Melrose Avenue, Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Paramount Pictures

Technical Specs

Runtime:

122 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Recording)

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1