Saturday's Children (1940)

So the title card claims, and it's based on a play by Maxwell Anderson, a distinguished American playwright who tackled tough subjects--fascism, apartheid, congressional dysfunction. I don't know this play, but whatever it was, the Epstein brothers utterly standardized it in their thin- blooded adaptation, a weak domestic drama where co-workers John Garfield and Anne Shirley meet, fall in love, marry, and suffer small-people problems. He's polite and mild-mannered and uninteresting, and she's pure ingenue, and watching them trod along the well-worn path of conventional screen romance has no bite. Even Claude Rains, as her father, seems disengaged. At least Lee Patrick, as her scheming sister, and Roscoe Karns, as her cynical brother-in-law, provide a little bite, and George Tobias is on the periphery, playing what he always played. But, despite an attempted suicide, a hidden pregnancy, and penny-ante deceptions in the young pair's marriage, it's slow, repetitive, and unfelt. And it needs edge. Oh, how it needs edge.

John Garfield, a greatly underrated actor, with a sadly short career, was the first real "modern" actor pre-Brando. He is stellar as the working class hero struggling with financial setbacks, unrealized ambitions and a new marriage. He imbues the character of Rims Rosson with a poignancy illustrating the inner turmoil of a man whose responsibilities and love for his wife conflict with his desire to accomplish his dream of travel and professional distinction. Claude Rains, as the titular head of this extended family, a man toiling for years at a company desk as bookkeeper, lends heart and dignity to this story of a father driven to carry out the ultimate sacrifice in order to aid the newlyweds. Ann Shirley gives an adequate performance as the modest, simple wife whose expectations and worldly ambitions starts and end with marriage. Although produced earlier on stage and film, the story elements are timeless. This 1940 movie version is an excellent slice of life representing the American "everyman" in a Depression era America on the brink of World War II.

The director of this film died recently as we was approaching 100. Dennie Moore, who plays the common Gertie, with a typical Brooklyn accent, turns 99 in December.Wonderful seeing John Garfield in a non-gangster role. As the sympathetic Sims, an inventor whose a dreamer, Garfield etches a totally believable character. Anne Shirley plays the girl who loves and tricks him into marriage.Garfield plays basically another George Bailey type. The opportunities are there for him but situations arise which prevent him from fulfilling his dreams.Claude Rains plays his philosophical father-in-law who plots to do away with himself so that Garfield and Shirley can live happily ever after.The two work in the same office, fall in love and marry. With the coming of war, she gets laid off and he is asked to take a pay cut.Sad but realistic. This true to life film does end happily.

It should go like this: Monday's child is fair of face Tuesday's child is full of grace Wednesday's child is full of woe Thursday's child has far to go Friday's child is loving and giving Saturday's child must work for a living and the child that is born on the sabbath day is bonny and blithe and good and gay. I'm not sure why Jack Warner didn't catch this. It seems that to use the title to begin with presumes knowledge of the poem (I for one have to run through the entire thing in order to make sure myself. "Work for a living" also seems to fit better with the theme of the movie-- not that it matters though since the author came up with the title to begin with.