On the surface, the character of spoiled Louis Hayward doesn't at all seem rotten. He's funny and charming, but secretly manipulative and self-destructive. He's even seemingly accepting of the fact that the woman he loves (Madeline Carroll) is really in love with dad Brian Aherne.
There must have been a major edit as after his wife Josephine Hutchinson is killed, Aherne isn't even told so the audience is supposed to assume that this happened off screen. A disciplinarian unlike her husband, Hutchinson is the only one aware that her son (played by Scotty Beck as a youngster) is no good, a bad seed.
This is one of those A films (directed by Charles Vidor) that was quickly forgotten, good but not as great as the filmmakers hoped it would be. It's based on a now forgotten novel by Howard Spring, making his hero (Aherne) an author as well, influenced by good seed daughter Sophie Stewart into turning his novel into a play which becomes a big hit.
The highlight of the drama is Aherne realizing too late how rotten his son is, and how his naive spoiling contributed to Hayward's downfall. Aherne gives up his happiness with Carroll to take care of Laraine Day, the star of the play whom Hayward leaves high and dry, and pregnant. Superb acting (particularly by Aherne and Hayward) and great production design are highlights. This may not be one of 1940's great classics (too many to count), but I wouldn't dismiss it either. It's just further down the list on that year's most memorable films.
There must have been a major edit as after his wife Josephine Hutchinson is killed, Aherne isn't even told so the audience is supposed to assume that this happened off screen. A disciplinarian unlike her husband, Hutchinson is the only one aware that her son (played by Scotty Beck as a youngster) is no good, a bad seed.
This is one of those A films (directed by Charles Vidor) that was quickly forgotten, good but not as great as the filmmakers hoped it would be. It's based on a now forgotten novel by Howard Spring, making his hero (Aherne) an author as well, influenced by good seed daughter Sophie Stewart into turning his novel into a play which becomes a big hit.
The highlight of the drama is Aherne realizing too late how rotten his son is, and how his naive spoiling contributed to Hayward's downfall. Aherne gives up his happiness with Carroll to take care of Laraine Day, the star of the play whom Hayward leaves high and dry, and pregnant. Superb acting (particularly by Aherne and Hayward) and great production design are highlights. This may not be one of 1940's great classics (too many to count), but I wouldn't dismiss it either. It's just further down the list on that year's most memorable films.