| Greer Garson | ... | Edna Kahly Gladney |
 | Walter Pidgeon | ... | Samuel 'Sam' Gladney |
| Felix Bressart | ... | Doctor Max Breslar |
| Marsha Hunt | ... | Charlotte Kahly |
| Fay Holden | ... | Mrs. Kahly |
| Samuel S. Hinds | ... | Mr. George Kahly |
| Kathleen Howard | ... | Mrs. Sarah Keats |
| George Lessey | ... | Mr. Keats |
| William Henry | ... | Allan Keats |
| Henry O'Neill | ... | Judge Hartford |
| John Eldredge | ... | Damon McPherson, Edna's Fiancé |
| Clinton Rosemond | ... | Zeke, Edna's Servant |
| Theresa Harris | ... | Cleo, Edna's Maid |
| Charles Arnt | ... | G. Harrington Hedger |
| Cecil Cunningham | ... | Mrs. Marcus Gilworth |
| Ann Morriss | ... | Mrs. Dora Loring |
| Richard Nichols | ... | Sammy Gladney |
| Pat Barker | ... | Tony |
| Mary Zimbalist | ... | Helen, Girl Donating $700 (as Mary Taylor) |
| Marc Lawrence | ... | Bert La Verne |
| rest of cast listed alphabetically: |
| Ernie Alexander | ... | Mr. Jason (uncredited) |
| Harry Allen | ... | Gus, Kahly's Servant (uncredited) |
| Sam Ash | ... | Bidder (uncredited) |
| Joan Barclay | ... | Guest at First Party (uncredited) |
| Paul Barrett | ... | Guest at First Party (uncredited) |
| Charles Bates | ... | (uncredited) |
| Arthur Belasco | ... | Bidder (uncredited) |
| Art Berry Sr. | ... | Mill Worker (uncredited) |
| Margaret Bert | ... | Helen (uncredited) |
| Henry Blair | ... | Child (uncredited) |
| Sally Ann Brown | ... | Child (uncredited) |
| Georgia Caine | ... | Sam's Secretary (uncredited) |
| Davison Clark | ... | City Councilman (uncredited) |
| Dora Clement | ... | Guest at Second Party (uncredited) |
| David Clyde | ... | Frederick, Kahly's Butler (uncredited) |
| Tristram Coffin | ... | Mr. Teddy Howard (adopting Oliver) (uncredited) |
| Nadine Conner | ... | Soloist in Opening Credits (uncredited) |
| Carol Coombs | ... | Child (uncredited) |
| Georgie Cooper | ... | Lady Against Legislation (uncredited) |
| Irene Crane | ... | Soloist in Opening Credits (uncredited) |
| Mrs. Gardner Crane | ... | Lady Against Legislation (uncredited) |
| Joseph Crehan | ... | Council Chairman (uncredited) |
| Oliver Cross | ... | Guest at First Party (uncredited) |
| Sidney D'Albrook | ... | Lane (uncredited) |
| Cliff Danielson | ... | Mill Worker (uncredited) |
| Sheila Darcy | ... | Guest at Second Party (uncredited) |
| Frank Darien | ... | Jones, Gladney's Accountant (uncredited) |
| Marga Ann Deighton | ... | Lady Against Legislation (uncredited) |
| John Dilson | ... | Auctioneer (uncredited) |
| Mike Donovan | ... | Mill Worker (uncredited) |
| Lester Dorr | ... | Court Attendant (uncredited) |
| Jane Drummond | ... | Mrs. Howard (adopting Oliver) (uncredited) |
| Claire Du Brey | ... | Nurse at Sammy's Birth (uncredited) |
| William Dudley | ... | Guest at Second Party (uncredited) |
| Estelle Etterre | ... | Guest at First Party (uncredited) |
| Edith Evanson | ... | Hilda, Mrs. Kahly's Maid (uncredited) |
| Paul Everton | ... | Texas Senator (uncredited) |
| Frank Faylen | ... | Man With Man Carrying Dead Child (uncredited) |
| Edward Fielding | ... | Judge (uncredited) |
| Roy Gordon | ... | Craig, Edna's Lawyer (uncredited) |
| Harrison Greene | ... | Mr. Piggott (uncredited) |
| George Harris | ... | Newboy (uncredited) |
| Harry Hayden | ... | Texas Senator (uncredited) |
| Edward Hearn | ... | Mill Worker (uncredited) |
| Fay Helm | ... | Leta Eldredge (adopting Tony) (uncredited) |
| Dell Henderson | ... | Sergeant at Arms (uncredited) |
| Howard C. Hickman | ... | Texas Senator (uncredited) |
| John Ince | ... | Mill Worker (uncredited) |
| Selmer Jackson | ... | Texas Senator (uncredited) |
| Edward Keane | ... | Second Businessman (uncredited) |
| Cy Kendall | ... | Harrington (uncredited) |
| Milton Kibbee | ... | Court Clerk (uncredited) |
| Clarence Kolb | ... | Texas Senator T.R. Cotton (uncredited) |
| Hope Landin | ... | Olga (uncredited) |
| Kay Linaker | ... | Mrs. Bedlow, in Court (uncredited) |
| Mary MacLaren | ... | Bidder (uncredited) |
| Edwin Maxwell | ... | City Councilman (uncredited) |
| Ralph McCullough | ... | Mill Worker (uncredited) |
| Florine McKinney | ... | Guest at Second Party (uncredited) |
| Edward McWade | ... | Darrow (uncredited) |
| Howard M. Mitchell | ... | Man Carrying Dead Child (uncredited) |
| Roger Moore | ... | Notary (uncredited) |
| Ann Morrison | ... | Maid (uncredited) |
| Ottola Nesmith | ... | Nana, the Governess (uncredited) |
| Winifred Nimo | ... | Guest at Second Party (uncredited) |
| Carroll Nye | ... | Mr. Loring, Dora's Husband (uncredited) |
| Anne O'Neal | ... | Lena (uncredited) |
| Oscar O'Shea | ... | Dr. West (uncredited) |
| Lotte Palfi Andor | ... | Maid (uncredited) |
| Emory Parnell | ... | Texas Senator (uncredited) |
| Edward Peil Sr. | ... | Mill Worker (uncredited) |
| Nora Perry | ... | Mary (uncredited) |
| Paul Power | ... | Guest at First Party (uncredited) |
| Purnell Pratt | ... | Texas Senator (uncredited) |
| Sandra Lee Richards | ... | Child (uncredited) |
| Henry Roquemore | ... | Third Businessman (uncredited) |
| Dick Rush | ... | Train Conductor (uncredited) |
| Charles Sargent | ... | Musician (uncredited) |
| Almira Sessions | ... | Mrs. Brown, With the Vase (uncredited) |
| Janet Shaw | ... | Tess (uncredited) |
| Kathryn Sheldon | ... | Mrs. Taylor, Matron Holding a Baby in Court (uncredited) |
| Byron Shores | ... | Mr. Eldredge (adopting Tony) (uncredited) |
| Gertrude Simpson | ... | Matron in Court (uncredited) |
| Emmett Smith | ... | Jasper (uncredited) |
| James P. Spencer | ... | Mr. Dirk (uncredited) |
| Grace Stafford | ... | Molly (uncredited) |
| Elliott Sullivan | ... | Note Collector (uncredited) |
| Ferris Taylor | ... | First Businessman (uncredited) |
| Emanuel A. Turner | ... | Charles, a Process Server (uncredited) |
| Guy Usher | ... | City Councilman (uncredited) |
| Emmett Vogan | ... | Mr. Bedlow, in Court (uncredited) |
| Ethel Wales | ... | Angry Woman in Senate Balcony (uncredited) |
| Bryant Washburn | ... | Guest at Second Party (uncredited) |
| Jasper Weldon | ... | Driver (uncredited) |
| Cynthia Westlake | ... | Guest at First Party (uncredited) |
| Anne Wigton | ... | Guest at Second Party (uncredited) |
| Buddy Williams | ... | Porter (uncredited) |
| Douglas Wood | ... | President of Texas Senate (uncredited) |
| Harry Worth | ... | Rader, La Verne's Shyster Lawyer (uncredited) |
| William Worthington | ... | City Councilman (uncredited) |
| Will Wright | ... | Texas Senator (uncredited) |
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company.
Much of this movie is fiction, but the fact remains that Edna Gladley was a pioneer in the field of nursery care and adoption and her work to strike the description "illegitimate" from birth certificates as well as insure that these children could inherit from their adoptive parents has changed many lives for the better. Edna was born in Milwaukee; her father died when she was very young; she never had an adopted sister who was herself illegitimate. Because Edna suffered from respiratory disease she was sent to Fort Worth, Texas, when she was seven years old to live with her aunt and uncle. She and her husband Sam were married in Gainseville after which they moved to Wolfe City where they bought a mill to manufacture Gladiola brand flour. They were childless.
Edna began her work in helping impoverished and homeless children soon after moving to Wolfe City where she started a crusade to clean up the county poor farm during which she arranged to have homeless children moved to the Morris Children's Home and Aid Society in Fort Worth. She joined the Society's Board in 1910. She then made trips to settlement houses in Chicago and New York City to study their methods; when she returned she set up a day nursery for working mothers (the movie has her setting up the nursery first when in fact this happened seven or eight years after she became involved in child welfare issues).
As in the movie, Sam's business failed in 1924 whereupon they moved to Fort Worth where Edna continued her work in child welfare. In 1927 she was named superintendent of the Texas Children's Home and Aid Society. Sam died in 1935 after rebuilding his business. Edna spent the rest of her life advocating for children, concentrating on placing homeless and abandoned children with adoptive families. She also expanded the Society to provide health care for unwed mothers and an adoption service for their children. The Society later bought a maternity hospital that it named the Gladney Center.
I loved Greer Garson in this movie, she is strong, brave and gracious. I just wish the director and producers of this movie had used a script that portrayed the real life of Edna Gladney rather than resorting to the fictitious adopted sister who kills herself and inventing a non-existent son who dies in an accident to explain her motives. Edna was her own person who was genuinely involved in her life's work from her early 20s until she died in 1961 -- the movie didn't need these made-up people to explain why she became involved in child welfare issues.