THE GIFT OF LOVE
US, 1958, 105 minutes, Colour.
Robert Stack, Lauren Bacall, Evelyn Rudie, Lorne Greene, Ann Seymour.
Directed by Jean Negulesco.
The Gift of Love is an enjoyable, somewhat sentimental romantic film. In fact it is a remake of a Maureen O'Hara-John Payne film of the forties called Sentimental Journey. It deals lightly with the presence of a dead woman and the effect on husband and child. This of course is the gift of love. Lauren Bacall is attractive as the heroine. The film was directed colourfully by Jean Negulesco at period when he was making such films as Count Your Blessings, A Certain Smile, The Best of Everything. The Gift of Love is an attractive film, for family audiences.
1. For what audience was this film made? The emotional response? The humanity and sentiment? The impact in the fifties and the impact now?
2. How appropriate was the films styles widescreen, colour, locations, romantic music, song?
3. The importance of the prologue for opening up the plot, creating credibility. Introducing characters. determining the impact of the film?
4. How attractive was Julie as the central character of the film? The initial seeing her at work, helping Hitty, her ease of personality and style, her growing in love for Bill, the success of the marriage? Her personal independence, yet her concern for Bill and protecting him?
5. The impact of the discovery of her bad health? Her longing for children, her searching out a child to take her place? The encounter with Hitty? The ease of communication between them?
6. The detailed preparation of Hitty for taking her place, for the meals in bed? Julie’s awareness that
Bill was hurt by a third person entering their lives? The nature of their arguments?
7. The dramatic impact of her death? The reality of her being a presence in their lives? The nature of the premonitions and her final beckoning to Bill and Hitty? How attractive was Lauren Bacall’s performance? Audiences identifying with the character? In sentiment and feeling?
8. How interesting a character was Bill? Robert Stack’s style? The initial meeting, the genius, in need of sleep, growing in love, the quality of his marriage? The nature of his work and dedication to it? The close love for Julie? His decision about Hitty and how hard it was for him? The underlying resentment? The way that he coped with her cleaning the blackboard? His adapting to her? The impact of Julie's death? The presentation of his grief? His hurting Hitty? His experiencing his need for her, the premonition and its meaning?
9. How attractive an orphan was Hitty? Her resourcefulness, her failures, her stories? Her imagining she was a horse and her being trained away from this? Julie’s communication by sharing imagination? Hitty's stories and fantasies, their value, their lack of value, especially with Bill? How did Hitty respond to Julie, learning and imitating her? Her taking of Julie’s death, yet her awareness of her presence? Her arranging her return? Her coping with the other orphans? Her returning to the place of their meeting, a crisis for Bill? The future for Bill and Hitty?
10. What did the minor characters contribute to the film's impact: Grant and his friendship with Bill, the doctor and his support of Julie and his warning her about the truth. Miss Masters and the orphanage (her primness and wanting the orphans to grow up too soon)?
11. What insight into the nature of human love, concern, marriage, family did the film give? How appropriate was the title - as the symbol for the film’s meaning?
