No Sad Songs for Me

Plot

Rudolph Mate directs this sentimental melodrama about a ridiculously self-sacrificing wife based on the book by Ruth Southard and starring a 12-year-old Natalie Wood. Mary Scott (Margaret Sullavan) is pregnant when she finds out that she has terminal cancer with only a few months left to live. She keeps this information a secret from her husband, Brad Scott (Wendell Corey), who is carrying on an affair with his assistant, Chris Radna (Viveca Lindfors). Mary encourages her husband to pursue Chris as a replacement wife and mother after she dies. While on a final vacation with Brad, Mary dies and leaves Chris at home babysitting their daughter, Polly (Natalie Wood). No Sad Songs for Me features an Oscar-nominated score by George Duning. ~ Andrea LeVasseur, Rovi

Review

Fans of weepies will relish No Sad Songs for Me, an effective but routine tearjerker that is saved from total mawkishness by the stellar late-career performance of the luminous Margaret Sullavan. Make no mistake about it: without Sullavan, Sad Songs would be a fairly ridiculous affair. Not concerned with seriously exploring a "death with dignity" issue, Sad Songs opts for a pure Hollywood soap approach, calling for the kind of long suffering, selfless nobility that would be sheer masochism in real life. Fortunately, in Sullavan's flawless performance, it is transformed into the ultimate in saintly self-sacrifice. The grace and graciousness displayed by this actress, combined with much more restraint than others would bring to the role, saves Sad Songs from itself. Sullavan gets valuable support from Wendell Corey as her husband, Viveca Lindfors as her soon-to-be successor, and Natalie Wood as her adorable daughter, but the film belongs to her. Rudolph Mate deserves points as well for his sensitive and stylish direction, and for his help in molding Sullavan's performance. The star deserves a better vehicle, but she drives it like the winner she is. ~ Craig Butler, Rovi

Cast

• Margaret Sullavan - Mary Scott
• Wendell Corey - Brad Scott
• Viveca Lindfors - Chris Radna
• Natalie Wood - Polly Scott
• John McIntire - Dr. Ralph Frene

Ann Doran - Louise Spears; Richard Quine - Brownie; Jeanette Nolan - Mona Frene; Dorothy Tree - Frieda Miles; Raymond Greenleaf - Mr. Caswell; Harlan Warde - Lee Corbett; Margo Woode - Doris Weldon; Harry V. Cheshire - Mel Fenelly; Douglas Evans - Jack Miles; Sumner Getchell - George Spears; Lucille Browne - Mrs. Hendrickson

Credit

Cary O'Dell - Art Director, Rudolph Maté - Director, William Lyon - Editor, George Duning - Composer (Music Score), Morris W. Stoloff - Musical Direction/Supervision, Joseph Walker - Cinematographer, Buddy Adler - Producer, Howard Koch - Screenwriter, Ruth Southard - Book Author

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