B.F.'s Daughter (1948)

User Rating:

5.7/10   

Director:

Robert Z. Leonard

Writers:

John P. Marquand (novel)
Luther Davis (screenplay)

Release Date:

2 April 1948 (USA)

Genre:

Drama

Tagline:

From the Best-Selling Book !

Plot:

Polly Fulton is the only daughter of rich industrialist B.F. Fulton. She is about to marry the man of her dreams...

Plot Keywords:

Marriage | Industrialist | Professor | Reconciliation | Death

Awards:

Nominated for Oscar.

Cast

Barbara Stanwyck	...	Pauline 'Polly' Fulton Brett
Van Heflin	...	Thomas W. 'Tom' Brett
Charles Coburn	...	Burton F. 'B.F.' Fulton
Richard Hart	...	Robert S. 'Bob' Tasmin III
Keenan Wynn	...	Martin Delwyn 'Marty' Ainsley
Margaret Lindsay	...	'Apples' Sandler
Spring Byington	...	Gladys Fulton
Marshall Thompson	...	The Sailor
Barbara Laage	...	Eugenia Taris, Tom's dutch Girl
Thomas E. Breen	...	Maj. Isaac Riley, Pilot
Fred Nurney	...	Jan, Fulton's Butler

Also Known As:

Polly Fulton (UK)

Runtime:

108 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Sound System)

Certification:

Finland:S | USA:Approved (PCA #12801)

Company:

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM)

Trivia:

In the scene where Barbara Stanwyck, playing the new bride, was supposed to be carried across the threshold by her husband, she and director Robert Z. Leonard cooked up a practical joke and draped her body with heavy chains under the mink coat she wore, making it impossible for Van Heflin to pick her up.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in The Notorious Bettie Page (2005)

Soundtrack:

The Wedding March

Along came Polly

John Marquand didn't deserve to have his novel turned into this film, which was probably a vehicle for its star, Barbara Stanwyck. Mr. Marquand was a writer whose books were popular and some of them endured the passing of time.

It appears that MGM asked screen writer Luther Davis to transform the novel into something that the book was not. Under the direction of Robert Z. Leonard, one gets the impression this was a movie to show us how a woman in love can throw away all the comforts and perks of her wealthy life for a man that could not make a decent living to keep her in style.

It doesn't make sense that Tom sweeps Polly off her feet by their first encounter in that "divine" little bistro in the Village, circa 1940s. Polly in furs and Tom in rags, give me a break! It would be laughable with today's audiences.

Barbara Stanwyck and Van Hefiln, by the magic of the celluloid never age; if anything they get better looking. Ms. Stanwyck was a marvelous actress with the right material, but in here, she is bogged down by a the mediocrity of the writing. Ms. Stanwyck and Mr. Heflin worked together to better results in two other films. This film has to be viewed as curiosity piece that never made it big.

Richard Hart was perfect as the stuffy Bob, the fiancee that is left behind when he can't cut the mustard. Charles Coburn also appeared in other films in which Barbara Stanwych shone, like "Lady Eve", and he is perfect as B.F. Fulton, Polly's father. He always played rich men. Margaret Lindsay has only a small part. Keenan Wynn is perfect as Marty Ainsley, Tom's friend.

On one positive note, the decor of the homes we see in the film is just "divine", to imitate what Apples would say, as are the costumes and the glossy look they gave the film.