Poikani Davey

Loretta Young is in the title role as the wife of a college dean who, after several miscarriages, learns she will never have children. On her way to a formal event, she accidently hits a little boy (Tommy Retting) on a dark road, and before she can find out if he's okay, a nasty local yokel (Will Wright) shows up, calls her a reckless woman driver and whisks the kid away. Wright likes the spotlight as 'the guy who saved the orphan', , telling reporters the driver was a drunk society woman, and describing her car. Young is torn between her worry about the boy and concern that any breath of 'scandal' can hurt her hubbie's career.

She volunteers at the hospital, and arranges with her doctor (Alexander Knox) to help him learn to speak again and she devotes herself to him. She and her husband decide to adopt the boy, and one night Young is dressed for a dinner out..and wearing the same distinctive necklace as the night of the accident. Little Retting recognizes it..and knows she's the one who hit him. He tries to tell others, but his speech is still limited..and Young knows he knows. What does she do? Confess? Knox knows too, but is aware that Young really loves the boy, and returning him to an orphanage would be a mistake. Knox's MD character is a bit confusing in the film..he's a friend/obgyn/pseudo psychologist/speech therapist...hmmm.

There's a little twist when Wright shows up at Young's home, ranting about the boy, but a heart warming ending. Young is fine in her role, Kent Smith as her husband is pretty dull. I put this a step above the 'woman's pictures' of the time because there is some suspense involved...at one point, Young says to the boy 'you can't tell anyone because you can't talk' in a cool, almost menacing tone...to scare him or to prod him to try harder? Or both? Not bad at all...

For a lack of truth in advertising, take a look at the movie poster. It's got a picture of Young in a skimpy low cut dress and says "If you were Paula would you have stopped?" Ahem. I think quite a few men who bought tickets were probably disappointed that this turned out to be a "motherhood is good film".