MADE FOR EACH OTHER

US, 1938, 90 minutes, Black and white.
Carole Lombard, James Stewart, Charles Coburn, Lucile Watson. Harry Davenport, Eddie Quillan, Esther Dale, Louise Beavers.
Directed by John Cromwell.

Made For Each Other is a brief soap opera of 1938. John Cromwell (Algiers, Abe Lincoln in Illinois, Prisoner of Zenda at this period) directed and David O. Selznick produced. It is a small-scale film - enlivened by Carole Lombard and James Stewart. There is the conventional material of marriage, living with mother-in-law, birth of the baby, illness of the baby, need of a raise to sustain family.

Dated, but a glimpse of what was popular in the late '30s.

1. Romantic drama? Marriage? Family? Making ends meet? Audiences identifying with this film in the '30s?

2. Black and white photography, studio sets? The stars? The special effects for the plane flight, the storm and the crash? Musical score?

3. The title and John and Jane, its ironies?

4. John and Jane, their visit to his mother, the roundabout introductions, the revelation of the marriage? Their love for each other? His work in the law firm, the build-up to the meal and everything going wrong, the judge not appointing him partner? The interference of the mother-in-law, especially with domestic arrangements, the birth of the baby, looking after the baby? Jane's exasperation? John and his work? The desperation, wanting a raise, trying to confront the judge but being asked to take a cut? Jane understanding this? Their going out, the news of the baby's illness? The need for the serum? John going to confront the judge, his help, flight, the happy ending? The touch of cute comedy with Jane bringing the baby and all the lawyers wanting it to talk? An American couple of 1938?

5. The mother, her bitterness, narrowness, not wanting John to marry Jane, shocked at the marriage, interfering with the household, exasperating the maid, looking after the child? Her relenting?

6. The judge, his firm, hearing aid, the dinner as a fiasco? Not promoting John? The work, the speech and John's having to take a cut? John approaching him in the night, his generosity? Listening to John at the end?

7. The domestic comic scenes: looking after the baby, the mix-up with the maid, the terrible dinner?

8. Popular ingredients of the late '30s? Human nature? Marriage and love?