Life Begins at Eight-Thirty has its good moments and its bad, but incomplete.
The father/daughter relationship has substance and the acting's solid, bar Cornel Wilde and the characterization of Robert. The problem's that he's just a random guy, no personality, no importance in the film, just someone to make Kathy's life worthwhile, not anyone in particular. The romance is forced, as there's no chemistry between the two and some of their dialogue together absolutely woeful. There's more romance between the two old folks... and that's part of why it's incomplete. Does Kathy become happy spending the rest of her life with this no-one of a person and does Madden go on to perform or spend his remaining years a drunk.
The father/daughter relationship has substance and the acting's solid, bar Cornel Wilde and the characterization of Robert. The problem's that he's just a random guy, no personality, no importance in the film, just someone to make Kathy's life worthwhile, not anyone in particular. The romance is forced, as there's no chemistry between the two and some of their dialogue together absolutely woeful. There's more romance between the two old folks... and that's part of why it's incomplete. Does Kathy become happy spending the rest of her life with this no-one of a person and does Madden go on to perform or spend his remaining years a drunk.