Bachelor Mother (1939)

Bachelor Mother
Directed by Garson Kanin
Written by Norman Krasna and Felix Jackson
1939/USA
RKO Radio Pictures
First viewing/Warner Archives DVD

[box] David Merlin: Of course he talks! Why, he can recite the first line of Gunga Din![/box]

Despite its preposterous plot, this is an enjoyable romantic comedy helped along by the charm of its two leads.

Polly Parrish (Ginger Rogers) is about to be laid off from her holiday job as a department store clerk.  As she returns to the store from her lunch break, she sees an old lady abandon a baby on the steps of a foundling home.  Concerned, she picks up the child and takes it inside. The staff refuse to believe it is not her own baby.  They find out where she works and visit David Merlin (David Niven), the son of the owner (Charles Coburn). They convince Merlin to give Polly a permanent job and return the baby to her later that day.

Polly, who has a date to compete in a jitterbug contest, decides to dump the baby at David’s house.  After David catches up with her and makes clear that she will be fired unless she takes the baby, Polly relents.  It doesn’t take a genius to figure out what happens next.

This is quite OK.  The writers manage to get in quite a few double entendres and things move right along.  I could watch Ginger Rogers in just about anything.

Bachelor Mother was nominated for an Oscar for Best Original Story.

Trailer