RATIONING

US, 1944, 93 minutes, Black and white.
Wallace Beery, Marjorie Main, Dorothy Morris, Donald Meek, Gloria Dickson, Connie Gilchrist, Howard Freeman, Morris Ankrum.
Directed by Willis Goldbeck.

Rationing is of interest for historical reasons – although, fans of Wallace Beery and Marjorie Main will enjoy seeing them together, their clashes and the touch of romance.

As indicated by the title, it is a film about rationing, especially in the war years 1943 – 1944. Beery plays a storekeeper in a small town, a veteran of World War I, wanting to help people in the town with the limited goods available. Marjorie Main portrays the supervisor of rationing in the town, very strict in the letter of the law, even having three different windows for particular enquiries in her post office.

There are various troubles, especially with Beery and his roving eye, towards Gloria Dickson as the local hairdresser, offering her gifts which Marjorie Main checks on. There is a further complication where her daughter is in love with the adopted son of Wallace Beery, who goes off to fight in the war much to his girlfriend’s grief. It is only when Beery arranges for money to be put in his son’s account that Margery Main approves – and, there is a wedding at the end, but it is interrupted because of the other sub-plot.

The films spends a lot of time in the store, especially with the customers and their trying to buy various goods. Beery takes on a partner, played by Howard Freeman, who has shady connections but his money goes towards Beery’s son’s account. What is revealed is black market activity in the supplying of meat, allegedly going to the troops, but put on sale. For a while, the people in the town suspect Beery of being involved, especially after he has made a special trip to Washington DC to meet his old war commander, now a senator (Henry O’Neill) who does not re-enlist him but appoints into the rationing board of the area.

When Beery become suspicious, and the Senator visits, he works out where the illegal proceedings were going on and goes to visit, being trapped by the Mr Big of the organisation as well as the thugs. However, all those waiting at the wedding are stirred up and go en masse to rescue Beery and close down the operation.

The film makers were shrewd in making this an entertainment about rationing and the appeal to the American public by the sympathetic stars, their sparring, relying on their previous screen presence – and incorporating a story about illegal operations and the vindication of Beery.

The director, Willis Goldbeck, had made several of the Dr Kildare films.