Figure 1.-- Here the first twos boys are after the divorce. They are John (Mickey Kuhn) and Rodney (Johnny Culkins). Rodney wears a sailor cap and suit while his older brother John wear a flat cap and suit, I think a Norfolk suit. This is one of the more classic sailor suits I have seen in an American film. This scene was set after World War I in the early 1920s.

This Rosalinf Russel film is in the same vein as Gypsey and Aunty Mame. It is theoretically a syory about Louise Randall Pierson. The story is a bit hokey, but an enjoyable 1940s Hollywood film. It is about an early turn of the century girl who sets out to persue life as a modern woman and encounters numerous road blocks. We first see her a young independent-minded teenager. She goes to business school, faces some trouble with her first boss, and winds up with a family of four, two boys and a girl. The children are seen playing. One boys wears short pants and kneesocks and the other overalls. The difference is not addressed in the film. Polio strikes the family. Her first husband can take the challenge when combined with the loss of his job and her modern spirit. The younger boy is later seen in a sailor cap and suit while his older brother wears a flat cap and suit. Later both boys wear knickers. The children are played by quirte a number of young actors as they, but included are Johnny Caukins and John Sheffield.

Filmology

This Rosalind Russel film is in the same vein as Gypsey and Aunty Mame (1958). It seems she was made for the role. This film, however, does not have the comedic touch of some other of her films and gets a little preachy. The screen play was written by Mrs. Pierson herself perhaps explaining why it was not more effictely written for a film production.

Louise Randall Pierson

It is theoretically a story about Louise Randall Pierson who wrote a book about her experiences entitled of course Roughly Speaking. She attended Simmons College, graduating in 1910. It was college only recently opened to prepare young women to support themselves--a novel idea for women at the time. She wrote "I hadn't come to Simmons to brush up on the fine points of being a lady. I had come to be a Pioneer. I wanted to learn new and radical things, like business law and touch typewriting. I thought I was entering the front-line trench in the battle for the emancipation of women. There was nothing in the outward appearance of Simmons College to suggest it was the front-line trench in the battle for anything. It was a large, austere stone rectangle rising phoenix-like from the ashes of the burning dump on Boston's Fenway, The catch was that it 'prepared girls for self-maintenance,' an aim so epochal in its implications I almost fainted every time I thought of it."

Cast

Rosalind Russel is the star of the film. Her two husbands are played by Donald Woods and Jackcarson. The children are played by quite a number of young actors as they appear throught the film at different ages, but included are Johnny Caukins and John Sheffield. Ann Todd plays Louise as a girl. Barbara is played by Ann Lawrence (age 9-11) and Mona Freeman (age 15-20). John is played by Mickey Kuhn (age 7-10) and John Treul (age 14-19). Rodney is played by Johnny Calkins (age 6-9) and Richard Winer (age 13-18). Louise Jr. is played by Jo Ann Marlowe (age 5-6) and Patsy Lee Parsons (age 12-17). Frankie is played by Gregory Muradian (age 3-4) and John Sheffield (age 9).

Plot

The story is a bit hokey, but an enjoyable 1940s Hollywood film. It is about Louise, an early turn of the century girl who sets out to persue life as a modern woman. and encounters numerous road blocks. We first see her a young independent-minded teenager. She goes to business school, famces some trouble with her first boss, and winds up with a family of four, two boys (John and Randal) and two girls (Barbara and Louise Jr.). Polio strikes the family. Her first husband can take the challenge when combined with the loss of his job and her modern spirit. Louise than meets the fumbling Harold Pierson (Jack Carson) at a party. He is kliving off his father's money, but she sets out to make somdething of him. Another child arrives--Frankie. The family goes up and down economicall, but stick together and the children all go to college or are on their way when the Japanese bomb Pearl Harbor. As the film was made during the War, Hollywood played its part. Each of the three boys, including Frankie are soon off to do their bit and the parents pitch in on the home font. The Harold Pierson character seems a bit unrealistic, but who knows perhaps there are truly some people out there as good as he is depicted.

Costuming

The children are seen playing. The older boy John wears short pants and kneesocks and Rodeney wears overalls while playing. The difference is not addressed in the film. Rodney (Johnny Caulkins) is later seen in a sailor cap and suit while his older brother wears a flat cap and suit (figure 1). This scene was set after World War I in the early 1920s. This is one of the more classic sailor suits I have seen in an American film. Notice that his sailor cap tally says U.S.S. Texas--an American battleship involved in World War I. American boys like British boys wore caps with the names of ships. German boys were more likely to wear caps with the name of their landen (state) or city. Later both boys wear knickers. Younger brother Frankie about 1929-30 wears short pants suits with a peaked cap and both ankle and kneesocks. As an older boy played by John Sheefield he wears long pants.

Created: May 13, 2003
Last updated: May 13, 2003