Die Findelmutter (1939)

Die Findelmutter: Directed by Garson Kanin. With Ginger Rogers, David Niven, Charles Coburn, Frank Albertson. An unemployed woman discovers an abandoned baby on the steps of an orphanage, and accepts an offer to take responsibility for the child in return for a job.

“Bachelor Mother finds Ginger Rogers as a shopgirl working for the large department store that Charles Coburn owns. When sheu0026#39;s let go at Christmas time sheu0026#39;s going to have to worry where the next meal for her is coming. No position to be taking on dependents.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eWhich is why when she finds a baby left on her doorstep she takes it to a foundling home where everyone assumes itu0026#39;s heru0026#39;s. When she tells her story about being let go, theyu0026#39;re moved to do something about it. She gets her job back with a raise, but Gingeru0026#39;s a most unwilling mother.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eOf course the speculation gets going as to who the dad is and the playboy son of Charles Coburn seems a real likely possibility. Especially when youu0026#39;ve got David Niven as the playboy. u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eGarson Kanin directed the Felix Jackson original story in the film that became Bachelor Mother. The original screenplay was nominated for an Oscar in that category, but lost to Mr. Smith Goes To Washington.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eI saw the musical remake that RKO did 17 years later with Eddie Fisher and Debbie Reynolds and it was clear just how superior this film is to that one. Eddie was playing David Nivenu0026#39;s part and while the man could sing, he hadnu0026#39;t a tenth of Nivenu0026#39;s charm. To be perfectly fair though, there were few men as charming as David Niven, he carried more films on the strength of that charm than anyone else I can think of.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eGinger Rogers was doing a great variety of dramatic roles now at RKO in between her films with Fred Astaire. She was really kicking her career into high gear at this point and would win an Oscar next year for Kitty Foyle. Hard as she struggles in this film to convince everyone sheu0026#39;s not the mother it gets easier to just go with the flow. When you see where the film is flowing youu0026#39;ll agree.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eBachelor Mother is a bright and witty comedy, not quite of the screwball variety, but still holding up quite well after more than 70 years.”