The Gift of Love (1958)

Fearing she will die, a physicist's wife hopes her husband will be consoled by the orphan she adopts.

Director:

Jean Negulesco

Writers:

Luther Davis, Nelia Gardner White (article)

Stars:

Lauren Bacall, Robert Stack, Evelyn Rudie

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Lauren Bacall	...	Julie Beck
Robert Stack	...	William 'Bill' Beck
Evelyn Rudie	...	Mehitabel aka Hitty
Lorne Greene	...	Grant Allan
Anne Seymour	...	Miss McMasters
Edward Platt	...	Dr. Jim Miller
Joseph Kearns	...	Mr. Rynicker

Storyline

Physicist Bill Beck meets and marries doctor's receptionist Julie. Five happy years later, she develops a heart condition. Afraid of leaving Bill alone by her premature demise, Julie adopts a sirupy, fantasizing orphan, Hitty. It's an uphill battle forging a relationship between the equally self-absorbed physicist and child: will she have time?

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Plot Keywords:

color remake of black and white film | adoption | based on article | remake | little girl | 

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Genres:

Drama | Romance

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Certificate:

Approved

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

April 1958 (Austria)

Also Known As:

Das Geschenk der Liebe

Filming Locations:

20th Century Fox Studios - 10201 Pico Blvd., Century City, Los Angeles, California, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Twentieth Century Fox

Technical Specs

Runtime:

105 min 101 min (FMC Library Print)

Sound Mix:

4-Track Stereo (Westrex Recording System)

Color:

Color (Color by Deluxe)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

On the adoption papers, Bill's date of birth is given as 2 July 1926, and Julie's as 21 February 1927, as opposed to their actual birth dates of actor Robert Stack (January 1919), and actress Lauren Bacall (September 1924.)

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Goofs

[All goofs for this title are spoilers.]

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Connections

Version of Sentimental Journey (1984)

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Soundtracks

PREGUNTALE A LAS ESTRELLAS
Traditional
Sung by chorus

User Reviews

Redirect his passion

Watching The Gift Of Love tonight made me wonder about the original film made from this story, Sentimental Journey. Having never seen that one I wondered if it was marginally better because this one is a two bath towel special.

There is a brief prologue of sorts where a doctor's receptionist Lauren Bacall meets scientist Robert Stack who's gone in for a consultation about insomnia. She decides to take the case personally and her cure is a couple of martinis. Before you know it they're in love and married.

Married for five years and no children. Then Bacall learns she's got a serious heart ailment that will cut her life short. Her concern is for Stack because even after five years the passion is still intense. Her solution is adopt a child even though she'll not be an adoptive mother long. Redirect his passion with what she believes will be The Gift Of Love.

The gift in the flesh is little Evelyn Rudie, a strange child who can't seem to get adopted. Still she and Bacall take to each other. The crisis comes for Stack and Rudie when Bacall dies.

Stack and Bacall are reunited as a husband and wife as they were in Written On The Wind. There Stack played an unhinged character and here he's a bit unhinged as well as being all consumed with his scientific research until Bacall gives him a domestic life as well. The two of them make this film bearable.

Otherwise The Gift Of Love is awash with sentiment and bathos. It's definitely a film to prepare yourself with a pair of bath towels at the ready.