Ever in My Heart (1933)

There are so many films about World War II it is rare today to see a film about the First World War. I know Downton Abbey is, at the time of this writing, currently taking place during WWI (or so I have heard I do not watch the show) but it is not a film. One of the many reasons why I like films from the 1920s and 1930s is because when they talk about “The War” they are talking about the one from 1914-1918. Most of the war films from the 1930s were about men fighting in Europe and while their wives and families were home waiting for them. Warner Bros. 1933 film Ever in My Heart is different. Instead of telling the story of the hardships on the Front it tells of the hardships faced on the home front of a man who was a peaceful American citizen, and was cruelly treated because he happened to come from Germany.

            Mary (Barbara Stanwyck) and her family are waiting for the return of her counsin Jeff (Ralph Bellamy) and his friend from Germany. Jeff has been away a long time. Everyone keeps asking if Mary and Jeff will become engaged. Jeff returns home with his German friend Hugo (Otto Kruger). Mary is taken with Hugo immediately. For the next few days and weeks Mary and Hugo has been with each other. The help starts to talk about Mary being with Hugo. They all want Mary to be with Jeff. Her grandmother and other cousin are upset when Mary becomes engaged to Hugo. Mary sits down and talks with Jeff. He agrees the two of them drifted apart and is happy to see his friends together.

            As the years go on Hugo becomes a professor at a college. He and Mary have a son named Teddy and he eventually becomes an American citizen. The day after Hugo became a citizen World War I begins. Mary’s brother Sam lost a friend on the Lusitania. He does not even want to stay in their house in a German atmosphere. Mary was supposed to be giving a tea party that day but all the ladies call and cancel. Hugo noticed that everyone backed out of playing tennis with him that day as well. Soon Hugo is let from his job at the college. He flips out on Mary when she suggests they go to stay with her family because they have never accepted him. More grief strikes the family when Teddy becomes ill and dies.

            No one in town likes Hugo even though he is an American citizen. Even the kids in town hate him and they hurt his dachshund because it is also German. The poor god was do badly hurt by the kids Hugo shoots him. He cannot understand why Mary stays with him. He tells her to go to her family until he can get things straightened out. She does not want to but does so because she loves Hugo. Jeff and the grandmother come to take Hugo and Mary back home. The grandmother says that Hugo can work in the mill but if he does he has to change his last name. Hugo refuses it was his father’s name. He yells at them for not coming to pick up Teddy in the summer to get him away from the horrible heat. Mary collapses from exhaustion and hunger. Hugo tells Jeff and the grandmother to take her away he will come for her within a week. This is the first time they have been separated since they met.

            A few weeks later Mary receives a letter from Hugo. He writes that he was allowed to be a citizen but he was not allowed to be an American. He has left America to fight for his people. Mary gets a divorce and soon after leaves to work for the war effort in Europe. Jeff is also sent to Europe. He confesses to Mary that she was the only girl for him and she says he should have been the only one for her. In a small café she has been working at Mary sees Hugo. She is so happy to see him but he just looks away. Jeff lets Mary know there is a spy in the division he knows all the divisions movements for the next forty-eight hours.

            Mary goes back to her room. Hugo is there waiting for her. He is hiding because he is the spy. They still love each other and spend the night together. Mary had taken poison from one of the newest female workers. She does not want Hugo to be killed and she does not want to betray him. Mary puts the poison in both their glasses with telling Hugo. Mary holds Hugo in her arms.

            This was an early role for Barbara Stanwyck and you can already see she would be one of the best leading ladies of the screen. She was amazing. I love and adore Stanwyck in this film. She was a tough cookie as usual but she was strong tough not snarky tough like in her other Pre-Codes. Stanwyck did get a little overdramatic in one part but that can be easily overlooked she was so perfect. The ending could have gone totally wrong had there been any other actress but Stanwyck in the role. Mary had the courage and the sadness to do something so drastic as she did in the end and no other actress could have pulled it off so beautifully because they would have over played the scene. Otto Kruger keeps surprising me every time I see him in a film. I first saw him as the bad guy in Hitchcock’s Sabotage so he will always be a bad to me yet in his other films he has been nice. Kruger was a very good actor who I feel does not get enough credit. Ralph Bellamy was Ralph Bellamy the lovable guy who does not wind up with the girl. I love him even more because he never gets the girl.

            Ever in My Heart was fantastic. It was fantastic because it was different. There is no denying that there are moments when it is melodramatic but come on this an early talking film and a film from 1930s and if you know your film history you will understand. It was so sad what happened to Hugo how he was discriminated against because he was German. The same thing is happening now and has for throughout history. Hugo was a good man and loved America because he loved an American woman. It was tragic that he no longer felt wanted in his new homeland and left his wife to fight against it. That is what made Ever in My Heart interesting to watch and what made the story so touching and good. Ever in My Heart is unfortunately not available to view on Youtube nor is it on DVD. I caught the film on TCM some time ago and if the channel ever airs it again definitely watch it.  

Silent Sundays: My Best Girl (1927)

“Maggie, you’re my best girl.”

            My Best Girl tells the dream of every girl in the world. What girl does not long to meet a nice handsome young man who is the sweetest kindest thing ever? Well, I am one of those girls. Despite my ice cold heart I do have a sentimental side that no matter how hard I try to force down I sometimes dream about meeting the right guy who is handsome and kind… and particularly one who has a lot of money! My Best Girl is that dream and it is so sweet it makes you blush.

            Maggie Johnson (Mary Pickford) is a stock girl at a 5 and 10 Cent story. She takes over a counter for one of the salesgirls while they go on a quick break. Maggie meets a guy named Joe (Charles “Buddy” Roger). She thought Joe was a customer but it turns out he is a new stock clerk like her. In reality Joe is actually the son of the store owner Mr. Merrill. He uses the last name Grant so no one will do him any favors and he can progress through the store by himself. He is currently engaged to a woman named Millicent and his mother will not announce their engagement until Joe has progressed through the store.

            All the girls at the store like Joe which makes Maggie a little jealous. Maggie gets home from hopping on the back of the truck. She makes Joe chase after her by dropping things off the truck. Eventually Joe just jumps on the truck with her. They have a fun time riding to her house. They joke around by pretending Maggie is a queen on her throne. Millicent happened to be driving by the truck and she sees Joe with Maggie. When they get to Maggie’s house she invites him to stay for dinner. Maggie lives at home with her parents and sister Liz. Her parents and Liz are in the middle of an argument. They do not want Liz to be seen with a man. Maggie does not let Joe come in the house she does not want him to see how dysfunctional they are. She tells him Liz is part of a dramatic club and she is rehearsing some of her lines. When the fighting does not end after a while, Maggie tells Joe to come over for dinner another night.

            Joe has been promoted to boss. Even with this new promotion he still has lunch with Maggie in the stock room. For his birthday Maggie gives him a watch. He gets his jacket sleeve caught on a nail in the box they are sitting in. When he gets his arm lose it hits Maggie making it seem like he is putting his arm around her. She does not protest and he does not move it. He pulls her in closer and they kiss. That night Joe’s mother holds a party for him at a club where she now plans to announce his engagement. Joe never shows up. After work he gets some ice cream with Maggie. Joe has a note from his mother reminding him about dinner that night. He mentions the store’s slogan about being a big family to Maggie and says they should take Merrill up on that and go to dinner at his house. Maggie is reluctant to go she does not want to go uninvited to the boss’s house. When they get there Joe motions to the butler to make like he does not know him. As they are sitting down to dinner his parents come home along with Millicent. Embarrassed and upset Maggie runs out of the house.

            Maggie runs all the way back to the store in town. She looks longingly at the shop’s window depicting the perfect family home. She wants that home and she is upset that it will not be with Joe. When she goes to turn away she sees her parents pull up in a cab. They tell her Liz has gotten herself in trouble and is in jail they have to get to the courthouse. Joe goes to the shop window looking for Maggie. A homeless man sitting by the window who saw Joe and Maggie together earlier tells Joe that Maggie went to the courthouse. He races there to tell Maggie that he loves her and wants to marry her. Liz’s boyfriend tells her father that a millionaire’s son in love with a shop girl is not right there is something more going on with his intentions. Joe gets furious and attacks the guy and gets himself arrested.

            News of the millionaire’s son’s arrest is all over the papers the following day. Mr. Merrill comes to see Maggie at her house. He tells her his wife is not happy about their son being in love with a shop girl she feels it will ruins his career. Mrs. Merrill wants to send Joe to Hawaii until the scandal blows over. Joe though wants Mary to come along, he has books a room under Mr. and Mrs. Merrill. He hands Maggie a check for ten thousand dollars to make her not want to go. Joe comes by the house. Maggie does everything to make Joe not love her anymore. She tells him she knew all along who he was and played him so she could get his money. Neither one of them is convinced they love each other too much. Mr. Merrill sees what Maggie did for his son that she loves him so much she was willing to let him go and lie about who she really is. He takes back his check and rips it up.

            Both Maggie and Joe leave by ship for Hawaii together.

            Mary Pickford and Charles Rogers were perfect both as actors and as a couple. For much of her career Pickford played either little girls or very young women. I think here she finally played someone older and more sophisticated and emotionally mature. I adored every one of her scenes she was so great. Pickford was very convincing with how much Maggie loved Joe at the end. Charles Rogers I had never seen in a film before. I liked him a lot he did not over act at all which even guys back in Classic Hollywood did sometimes. Rogers, or should I say Joe, is definitely the kind of guy I mentioned above that I would like to meet he was sweet and good and so adorable. His chemistry with Pickford was very real, they married each other ten years later. Pickford and Rogers seemed a little odd together you can tell there is an age difference between them but somehow they worked wonderfully together.

            My Best Girl is a very good silent film it is one of my favorites. It was so cute it made me so happy as I watched it. I like a good screw-with-your-mind film, I like dramas, and I like comedies, but every once in a while I like a film with a cute story. Mary Pickford’s films are definitely cute which is why I enjoy watching them. I think this is my favorite of her films I have seen so far. My Best Girl is hard to find unless you want to spend a fortune on the DVD. If you ever happen to come across the film somewhere I highly recommend watching it.