This is a gender switch on the usual classic women's film where the wife runs out on the husband, leaving him to raise his son alone. Paul Kelly and Douglas Croft are left to their own devices, which only housekeeper Marietta Canty to offer support. While Canty appears to be another Louise Beavers or Hattie McDaniel in appearance, she quickly changes that image by the way she deals with the issues of the household, not afraid to stand up for herself when she's mistreated but understanding why there's tension in the first place. Kelly easily apologizes to her, and while young Croft comes to dislike other women, he does treat her with the greatest of respect. Eventually, he begins playing matchmaker, not realizing that the answer to his marital woes for his dad were right under his nose.
The drama begins when Kelly finds himself attracted to Croft's teacher, the pretty Fay Wray who has to do damage control both as a teacher and a possible future stepmother. Ruth Lee as Kelly's secretary and Don Beddoe as a homeless drifter with lots of words and wisdom. While the ex-wife is never seen, the reasons for her leaving are revealed and are quite shady, and that causes Kelly to keep secrets from his son. There's a funny bit with rabbits named Lil Abner and Daisy Mae. It's a sentimental but amusing story, a nice mix of comedy and drama, well-acted and pretty lavish for a Columbia programmer. In the hands of veteran B movie director Lew Landers, this ends up being a nice quick time filler.
The drama begins when Kelly finds himself attracted to Croft's teacher, the pretty Fay Wray who has to do damage control both as a teacher and a possible future stepmother. Ruth Lee as Kelly's secretary and Don Beddoe as a homeless drifter with lots of words and wisdom. While the ex-wife is never seen, the reasons for her leaving are revealed and are quite shady, and that causes Kelly to keep secrets from his son. There's a funny bit with rabbits named Lil Abner and Daisy Mae. It's a sentimental but amusing story, a nice mix of comedy and drama, well-acted and pretty lavish for a Columbia programmer. In the hands of veteran B movie director Lew Landers, this ends up being a nice quick time filler.
