The second mother (1936)

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Movie
German title The second mother
Original title Valiant Is the Word for Carrie
Country of production United States
original language English
Publishing year 1936
length 110 minutes
Rod
Director Wesley Ruggles
script Claude Binyon
production Wesley Ruggles for Paramount Pictures
music Friedrich Hollaender
camera Leo Tover
cut Otho Lovering
occupation

The second mother (original title: Valiant Is the Word for Carrie ) is an American fictional film from 1936 with Gladys George directed by Wesley Ruggles .

action

Carrie Snyder, a former prostitute, lives on the outskirts of a small town in the southern United States. The residents avoid them because of their dubious past. One day Carrie meets little Paul Darnley, who lives in a dysfunctional family. His father beats him regularly and his mother is handcuffed to bed as an invalid. A deep emotional bond quickly develops between the two. Carrie cares for Paul like a mother. One day the conservative sections of the city population see to it that Carrie is expelled. With a heavy heart she leaves Paul behind. Some time later, Carrie learns that Paul, who has since become an orphan, has to live completely neglected on a houseboat under the care of his tyrannical uncle. Carrie, upset, decides to take the boy with her. In the meantime, Paul has taken in a young girl who calls herself Lady. Lady has fled from her adoptive parents, whom she literally won at a fair. Carrie adopts the two and takes them north. Over the years, Carrie grew wealthy and ran her own cleaning business. Paul graduates successfully from school, and everything couldn't be happier when a man dies by accident on Paul. Driven by guilt, Paul Lilli, the man's sister, promises to take care of her. Lady misunderstood the situation, and out of jealousy she marries a casual acquaintance. Finally, Carrie tries to fix things, but Lilli accidentally dies. Carrie is under suspicion, but instead of admitting the truth, she blames herself for fear that the alleged adoption would be exposed in the process. A tearful discussion ensues between Carrie and her children in prison .

background

The second mother , based on the novel of the same name, stands in a long tradition of films that put the sacrifice of mothers at the center of the plot. The stylistic elements were Madame X and Common Clay , who laid the pattern for the genre of the so-called Confession Tales . Most of the films revolve around the problems of women who get into trouble because of a love story or a dubious past. In doing so, they make every conceivable sacrifice to get their children - regardless of whether they are their own or adopted - to make ends meet. The women sometimes also incurred prison sentences for crimes they had not committed just to protect the reputation of their descendants, according to Irene Dunne in The Secret of Madame Blanche , Kay Francis in I Found Stella Parrish , Give Me Your Heart and Confession , Ruth Chatterton in Frisco Jenny or Ann Harding in The Life of Vergie Winters . Almost at the same time, another film , Stella Dallas , was released, which deals with the never-ending torment of a mother. Immediately afterwards, Gladys George played a woman again in the remake of Madame X , who does everything for her children and even goes to jail.

The actress, best known for her comedic talent on stage, was originally signed by Paramount Pictures to film her Broadway hit Personal Appearance , in which Cooper plays a Hollywood diva who ends up stranded in the Midwest after a car breakdown and drives an entire small town through hers fashionable way of life leads to the moral abyss. The play was eventually filmed with Mae West as Go West, Young Man , and Gladys Cooper found herself in Valiant Is the Word for Carrie , the adaptation of a bestseller about a former prostitute with a heart.

Awards

The second mother received a nomination in the category at the 1937 Academy Awards

  • Best Actress (Gladys George)

criticism

Most critics praised Gladys George's play, but found the film far too long overall.

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