Autumnsong: 25 days of Christmas | Bachelor Mother, 1939

Bachelor Mother | 1939

Nice poster, although the drawing of
David Niven doesn't exactly make him
justice...

Polly Parish is a salesgirl at the department story John B. Merlin and Son in New York city. During her lunch break one day, she walks by an orphanage and sees a baby left alone on the steps. Afraid that the baby might roll down the steps she picks it up and takes it inside, but, seeing the baby in her arms, an attendant at the orphanage mistakenly thinks she’s the baby’s mother! Polly tries to clear up the mistake but the people at the orphanage won’t listen, and she ‘s forced to leave the baby on someone else’s arms and walk away as fast as her legs would let her!

But no one at the orphanage was convinced, and after a little research they discover she works for J. D. Merlin. As it turns out she’d been hired as a temporary for the toy department during the Christmas season and as Christmas day drew closer, the girl was inevitably fired. Believing that to be the reason why she ‘abandoned her child’ one of the employees of the orphanage goes to speal to Mr. Merlin, to appeal to his generosity and Christmas spirit to hire the girl again so she can keep ‘her baby’.

Upon reaching the store, he meets not mr. Merlin but his son, David, a well known playboy who’s been adding grey hairs and wrinkles to his father’s figures as the old man worries that his eldest son won’t settle down and grow some responsibility. But the young man has his heart in the heart place, and although originally he tries to excuse himself from the whole situation, eventually he hears the man from the orphanage and calls Polly Parrish into his office. He tells her the dismissal notice she received was a mistake and that she is to remain with the company. Not only that, her salary will be increased in 5 dollars a week. And that same evening she is to receive in her house the greatest gift a woman can possibly receives. Polly is befuddled by that conversation until much later, when she’s by herself in her small apartment and someone knocks on the door! It’s the orphanage bringing back the baby she picked up from those steps!

The two leads and the baby on the left and them with the director on the right

The situation is absurd! She tries to give the baby back, to make them believe it’s not hers, but no one does, and eventually, David threatens her with loss of her job unless she assumes her role as a mother. It’s a double edged sword for although the baby secures her job, it also brings the social stigmas associated with bachelor motherhood. But eventually, Polly caves and starts raising the child.

David’s interest in the case however doesn’t fade away. He visits Polly again and a relationship starts developing between the two of them. Although he does not relish the thought of getting a “ready-made-family”, he is clearly interested in the baby and the scene in which he brings a book about the ‘scientific’ way to raise babies is delightful… It’s just not as funny as when he goes to his own shop in disguise to attempt to exchange a defective toy for the baby.

David's interest doesn't go away...

I had seen David Niven before, in the Bishop’s Wife, but my attentions had been entirely devoted to Cary at the time so I may have overlooked mr. Niven (who went back to the United Kingdom after this film to join the Royal Air Force for the war). Here however he is delightful… It was quite surprising to me, for I had seen him as the serious and quiet Bishop in that other film to see him as a light-hearted, and believable playboy this time, even a little gawkish…

There sure is a lot of conflict between them...

The story is made up by a lot of cases of mistaken identity and it’s funny from beginning to end. It probably wouldn’t have been possible nowadays when a simple DNA test could clear up any misunderstandings. The themes of growing up and learning responsibility, the role of females in the workforce and the perks and perils of single parenthood are explored in this film without taking anything from the light hearted entertainment. More than anything else, the story, however absurd, explores the idea that somethings are thrust upon us and we can walk in circles trying to get rid of them or make the best of the situation and move forward. It also speaks to the thought that somethings are beyond our control, like the affection that Polly (and David) ends up developing for the baby and the feelings that blosson between Polly and David themselves…