Bundle of Joy (1956)

After finding a baby outside an orphanage, a salesgirl receives sympathy from those around her, including her boss' son, as they all assume the baby is hers.

Director:

Norman Taurog

Writers:

Norman Krasna (screen play), Robert Carson (screen play)

Stars:

Eddie Fisher, Debbie Reynolds, Adolphe Menjou

Nominated for 1 Golden Globe.

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Eddie Fisher	...	Dan Merlin
Debbie Reynolds	...	Polly Parish
Adolphe Menjou	...	J.B. Merlin
Tommy Noonan	...	Freddie Miller
Nita Talbot	...	Mary
Una Merkel	...	Mrs. Dugan
Melville Cooper	...	Adams - the Butler
Bill Goodwin	...	Mr. Creely
Howard McNear	...	Mr. Appleby
Robert H. Harris	...	Mr. Hargraves
Mary Treen	...	Matron
Edward Brophy	...	Dance Contest Judge (as Edward S. Brophy)
Gil Stratton	...	Mike Clancy
Scott Douglas	...	Bill Rand

Storyline

Kitschy musical remake of "Bachelor Mother". Debbie Reynolds plays an over-eager clerk in a large department store and Eddie Fisher plays the boss' son. After getting fired from her job, she finds an adorable baby on the steps of the foundling home and the folks inside mistake her for the mother. Fisher, well-meaning, but obtuse, tries to help her out with the baby, and the buds of romance begin to appear. Meanwhile old Merlin, the owner of the store, thinks he just might be a grandfather...

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Plot Keywords:

screwball comedy | baby | boss | foundling | orphanage | 

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Taglines:

Their first movie together! Eddie sings 6 wonderful new songs!

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Genres:

Comedy | Musical | Romance

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Certificate:

Approved

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

12 December 1956 (USA)

Also Known As:

Bundle of Joy

Company Credits

Production Co:

Edmund Grainger Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

98 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (RCA Sound Recording)

Color:

Color (Technicolor) (as Technicolor®)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

In her autobiography, Debbie Reynolds states that director Norman Taurog may have been suffering from early-stage Alzheimer's disease as he kept repeating directions and forgetting details of the plot. Taurog however, did continue working for over another decade.

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Goofs

When Polly (Debbie Reynolds) and Mary (Nita Talbot) are singing "Worry About Tomorrow", Polly tries on various hats and in doing so, her hair becomes disarranged. In the next shot, as she puts on a large white hat, her hair is now fully combed.

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Connections

Remake of Bachelor Mother (1939)

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Soundtracks

I Never Felt This Way Before
(uncredited)
Music by Josef Myrow
Lyrics by Mack Gordon
Sung by Eddie Fisher

User Reviews

BACHELOR MOTHER is the better version...

BUNDLE OF JOY

I was excited to watch this remake of BACHELOR MOTHER. I loved the story and hoped it would be just as appealing with Debbie Reynolds as the star. Debbie did a great job with what she had, especially in the scenes with the adorable baby, but her real life husband Eddie Fisher lacked the charisma and maturity to capture my attention. I found myself comparing him to David Niven from the original movie and easily one of the most charismatic actors ever in my opinion. Fisher not only paled in comparison, but also came across as a boy and certainly not a man even in his musical numbers. He does have a spectacular singing voice. I'll give him that. I absolutely adore Adolphe Menjou particularly from YOU WERE NEVER LOVELIER, POLLYANNA, & LITTLE MISS MARKER. I thought he did a fine job in the supporting cast.

Even if I had seen this version first, then I think I would have felt the same about it as it just came off as rather mediocre entertainment. If you love these actors, then you may disagree, but I found the original screenplay and film to be the real bundle of joy for me.