The First Year

• Director: William Howard
• AMG Rating:
• Genre: Drama
• Movie Type: Romantic Drama
• Themes: Foibles of Marriage
• Main Cast: Janet Gaynor, Charles Farrell, Minna Gombell, Leila Bennett, Dudley Digges
• Release Year: 1932
• Country: US
• Run Time: 80 minutes

Plot

Grace Livingston (Janet Gaynor) is leading a happy life in her small town, with her mother (Maude Eburne) and father (Robert McWade), being courted by two men, the steady but predictable Tommy Tucker (Charles Farrell) and the more ambitious, flashy, and worldly Dick Loring (George Meeker), who seems closer to Grace in his desire for travel and adventure. It's Tommy whom she marries, however, while insisting that they live someplace other than the town where they grew up. So Tommy abandons his successful insurance business and the couple moves to Joplin, MO, where he takes over a real-estate business, and for 11 months the couple struggles quietly while Tommy goes about trying to establish himself, and Grace becomes increasingly bored and impatient, not liking Joplin or the tiny three-room apartment where they live. Tommy has been steadily working on a plan that will bring them all the money they need, acquiring land that he is certain that the railroad needs, but closing the deal with the purchasing agent (Henry Kolker) requires him to throw a small dinner party, on the very day that Tommy is down literally to his last ten dollars, and when Grace's patience is at an end and her kitchen help falls ill. With the maid's inexperienced daughter (Leila Bennett) doing her barely adequate best, they muddle through dinner to a successful conclusion to the deal; however, when the unexpected reappearance of Dick Loring throws a wrench in the works, not only of the deal but their marriage, his presence suddenly brings to a head all of Grace's frustrations. The couple splits up, Grace leaving Tommy to return to her parents' home, and even though each soon has some wonderful news to tell the other, it takes a lot of help -- and a knock-down, drag-out fight between two of the contending parties -- to help get them back to a place where each will give the other the hearing they should.

It sometimes seems as though, during the 1930s, the studios could mix comedy and drama more freely and easily without having to go into too many explanations for their audience -- whereas in the 21st century, audiences need a guide and a warning for pictures such as The First Year, which might be very funny in many spots (especially in the scenes with Grace's parents) and steeped in drama and serious moments elsewhere. Although not remotely as substantial as some of Charles Farrell and Janet Gaynor's other work together, The First Year is a good representation of the high level of quality of their work together when they weren't acting in masterpieces such as Street Angel or near-masterpieces like After Tomorrow. ~ Bruce Eder, All Movie Guide

Review

The best thing about this comedy is Leila Bennett, who plays the daughter of Janet Gaynor's maid. Unfortunately, Bennett, a white actress, plays the role in blackface and with the usual stereotypical malapropisms. As for Gaynor and her partner (Charles Farrell), they bicker and make up like they usually did. ~ Hans J. Wollstein, All Movie Guide

Cast

• Janet Gaynor - Grace Livingston
• Charles Farrell - Tommy Tucker
• Minna Gombell - Mrs. Barstow
• Leila Bennett - Hattie
• Dudley Digges - Dr. Anderson

Robert McWade - Fred Livingston; George Meeker - Dick Loring; Maude Eburne - Emily Livingston; Henry Kolker - Pete Barstow; Elda Voelkel - Helen

Credit

William Howard - Director, Jack Murray - Editor, Hal Mohr - Cinematographer, Lynn Starling - Screenwriter, Frank Craven - Play Author

Similar Movies

Barefoot in the Park; Made for Each Other

First Year, The (1920)a comedy by Frank Craven. [Little Theatre, 725 perf.] Grace Livingston (Roberta Arnold) of Rochester, Illinois, has been proposed to by young, ambitious Dick Loring (Lyster Chambers). She has also been courted by shy Tommy Tucker (Craven), who is not nearly as handsome as Dick and will probably spend all his life as a Rochester real estate agent. Grace's Uncle Myron (Tim Murphy) finally goads Tommy into proposing, and Grace accepts. But their married life is not all bliss. Tommy thinks their problems are merely the dark before the dawn, but Grace suggests they've “had a long arctic night.” Just as a dinner party starts to fall to pieces, Tommy blames Loring, who has returned on a visit, for breaking up a big deal he had in the works. In a snit, Grace runs home to Mother, where she learns that Tommy's deal has, in fact, gone through and he is rich. But Tommy appears as Loring is talking to Grace and a melee ensues, with Grace, attempting to stop Dick from hurting Tommy, inadvertently knocking out her husband with a vase meant for Dick's head. Tommy misconstrues her behavior and it takes all of Uncle Myron's persuasive abilities, plus the announcement that Grace is pregnant, to reunite the couple. Welcomed by Burns Mantle, who called it “one of those true, homely little comedies which are a blend of character, keenly observed, and the human comedy situation, overlaid with a suggestion of farce,” the John Golden production was the biggest hit of the season. At the time of its closing it was the third‐longest‐run show in Broadway history.

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