From the moment you see the sweet old Mabel Paige, you can tell that this is a woman that will be commanding your attention for the next 80 minutes. She is kind; she is regal. She is completely understanding of what young boys are like and accept them, faults and all. But she is not someone to be manipulated by the red tape of bureaucracy, so when the building she lives in an apartment she actually owns is sold to the local college as a boys dormitory, she pulls out the strings so she is able to stay and become sort of like a den mother to the boys who moved next door. She is someone whom they all immediately take to for her grace and kindness, immediately clearing the hallway in their shorts and towels when she rings the bell indicating that she is about to leave. It is done humorously and with the knowledge that she doesn't expect any less of them to be anybody who they are, and one boy in particular becomes of a great interest to her.
Having established herself as a friend of all of the boys, she is disturbed one night when a young woman (Dorothy Morris) appears in her bedroom, thinking she is entering the apartment above where the young John Shannon lives. Hearing that the young man whom she only knew by first name has the same last name as her, she becomes convinced that he is her grandson and that some miracle has brought him to her so she can be reunited with her long-lost son. Spending the Christmas holiday with Morris's family, Paige learns of the circumstances surrounding Morris and Shannon's relationship and the fact that his father will be visiting, prompting her to prepare for a reunion with her son. But things aren't for her what she expects them to be and the trews are soon revealed in a way that will have you wiping away buckets of tears.
There are several moments here that are actually tear-inducing including the scene at a restaurant where Shannon leads Paige out onto the dance floor and treats her to the first Waltz that she has had in 20 years. Slowly, everybody else on the floor leaves, turning her into a shining light for a moment as they all look on in awe at her inner beauty and the true character of what a real lady is. Paige isexcellent and certainly was worthy of an Oscar nomination. The film can be a little sappy at times but if you take it in which the spirit it was written and intended, that can easily be overlooked.
This reminds me of the 1938 film "Young in Heart" where Minnie Dupree played a similar character. While this has a large cast of well-known character actors and even a future star (Peter Lawford), it is Paige whom you will remember. The basic theme of showing us that each old person has had a story and that many of them were once vital and important in society reminds us not to dismiss the elderly simply because they are up there in age and not of our generation. It is a beautiful theme that is residence today and gives our world much hope. The direction by Robert Siodmark is super and is unique considering his darker themed movies later on.
Having established herself as a friend of all of the boys, she is disturbed one night when a young woman (Dorothy Morris) appears in her bedroom, thinking she is entering the apartment above where the young John Shannon lives. Hearing that the young man whom she only knew by first name has the same last name as her, she becomes convinced that he is her grandson and that some miracle has brought him to her so she can be reunited with her long-lost son. Spending the Christmas holiday with Morris's family, Paige learns of the circumstances surrounding Morris and Shannon's relationship and the fact that his father will be visiting, prompting her to prepare for a reunion with her son. But things aren't for her what she expects them to be and the trews are soon revealed in a way that will have you wiping away buckets of tears.
There are several moments here that are actually tear-inducing including the scene at a restaurant where Shannon leads Paige out onto the dance floor and treats her to the first Waltz that she has had in 20 years. Slowly, everybody else on the floor leaves, turning her into a shining light for a moment as they all look on in awe at her inner beauty and the true character of what a real lady is. Paige isexcellent and certainly was worthy of an Oscar nomination. The film can be a little sappy at times but if you take it in which the spirit it was written and intended, that can easily be overlooked.
This reminds me of the 1938 film "Young in Heart" where Minnie Dupree played a similar character. While this has a large cast of well-known character actors and even a future star (Peter Lawford), it is Paige whom you will remember. The basic theme of showing us that each old person has had a story and that many of them were once vital and important in society reminds us not to dismiss the elderly simply because they are up there in age and not of our generation. It is a beautiful theme that is residence today and gives our world much hope. The direction by Robert Siodmark is super and is unique considering his darker themed movies later on.