DARLING HOW COULD YOU?

US, 1951,96 minutes, Black and white.
Joan Fontaine, John Lund, Mona Freeman, Peter Hanson, David Stollery, Lowell Gilmore, Robert Barrat, Gertrude Michael.
Directed by Mitchell Leisen.

Darling How Could You? is a pleasant entertainment of the early 1950s. It seems rather dated and sentimental now - but is pleasant and nice. It is based on a play by J. M. Barrie, Alice Sit By The Fire. Paramount also adapted his play
Rosalind at this time, as Forever Female with Ginger Rogers and William Holden. Other Barrie plays filmed include Peter Pan, Quality Street, The Little Minister and The Admirable Crichton, Joan Fontaine is attractive in the central role and receives good support from John Lund. Mona Freeman is particularly good as her theatrical and romantic daughter. There are some amusing points made about the influence of theatre on impressionable youngsters. Direction is by Mitchell Leisen, who worked for many decades at Paramount.

1. A satisfying '50s entertainment? Romantic comedy? Pleasant and nice? Period? Sentiment? The contribution of the stars?

2. The work of J. M. Barrie - its fey quality? Adaptation to the United States? The work of Mitchell Leisen?

3. Black and white photography, Paramount sets, creation of the turn-of-the century period? The glimpse of Broadway theatre? Homes? Medicine? The score?

4. The theatrical nature of the film - the presentation of the Broadway play, Amy's response to it? The humour of the influence of melodrama on impressionable audiences? The use of the patterns of the melodrama and the style within the actual story? The play and its devices, the exaggerated acting styles. Amy's response, Charlie's questions? The mid and the opening of the film and her hurrying to rescue the children? A source of parody and humour?

5. The Gray household? The dedication of mother and father in Panama? Their absence so long from home? The nurse and her attachment to the baby? The maid and the household? The children not knowing their parents? The emotional build-up to their return? The humour of the preparations? The pathos of their not knowing their parents? The contrast with Alice and Robert on the boat trip - and Alice's attractiveness for the passengers at the dance? The setting of the scene for audience interest in the homecoming?

6. The return: Robert and his success with everybody, Alice and the baby crying, Charlie not wanting to be hugged, the nurse and her surliness? Robert's advice about emotionalism and her distance with Amy and her making a mistake? The mannered behaviour of Alice? The creation of tension? The meal sequences etc.? The unpacking?

7. Stephen's phone call and Amy's interpretation? Her plan to rescue her mother - dressing, Alice singing to Charlie, visiting Stephen, bewildering him, the hiding in the cupboard? The complications and ironies with the arrival of Robert and Stephen's explanation of things to him? Alice's arrival? The farcical aspects of the exposure? The children taking sides? Clearing the issue? Robert and Alice having to pretend so that the children would defend her?

8. The family getting to know one another - the future? The points made about children's attitudes and feelings?

9. The character of Stephen, friendship, his bewilderment with Amy, his bad handling of the situation - with the touch of vanity?

10. Themes of family, humour, decency, an old world and its values - delightful and nice?