Friday, December 23, 2011

A Christmas story that you will not soon forget: All Mine to Give(1957).


All Mine to Give(1957). Drama starring: Glynis Johns, Cameron Mitchell, and Rex Thompson. This story is based on a true-life story set in Wisconsin.

The film is told in flashback, while pulling one of his sisters in a sled through the snow on Christmas Eve, young Robbie thinks about how his family was before their lives began to fall apart:

Just off the ship from Scotland, Robert and his pregnant wife Mamie come to America to begin their new lives.. They are very disappointed to find that Mamie's uncle, had died in a fire three weeks before. The couple can not believe when their neighbors help them to rebuild the cabin.

After Robbie is born, Rob, walks to a logging camp twenty-five miles from home looking for work. Tom Cullen, hires Rob as a cutter, but when Cullen calls him a "Nordsky," Rob, informs him that he is Scottish. Cullen, rarely allows him to go home to see his family. Rob, at the end of his rope challenges his boss to a fight. When Rob wins the fight Cullen, begins calling him "Scotty" and they become good friends.

Rob, wanting to spend more time with his family returns to building his boats after the birth of his son, Jimmie. During the next few blissful years, Mamie and Rob have four more children: Kirk, Annabelle, Elizabeth and Jane.

One day, Kirk, becomes ill with diphtheria and Dr. Delbert, quarantines the house. The rest of the family stay in an abandoned cabin in the woods, while Mamie nurses Kirk back to health. After a couple of weeks, Rob and the very dirty children happily return home, Rob begins coughing.(You will want to keep the Kleenex box in your lap for the rest of the film.)

Mamie, takes care of Rob until his death and then takes in sewing to support her children. Around Christmas Mamie, comes down with typhoid fever. Mamie calls Robbie, to her bedside and asks him to find good homes for the children, after she dies.

During Mamie's funeral, Mrs. Runyon cruelly asks what they are to do with six orphans. Robbie, asks that they be allowed to spend their last Christmas together and Dr. Delbert agrees. After, his brothers and sisters have fallen asleep, Robbie and Jimmie decide which families the children would be happy living with. On Christmas Day, Robbie visits each of the families hoping that they have the Christmas spirit in their hearts to take them in:

Annabelle, is given to the Tylers, as they are just sitting down to Christmas dinner. The family Robbie has chosen for Lizzie is away for the holidays, so he asks childless couple who teach at the school to take her.

When they arrive back at the cabin, Mrs. Runyon, is trying to leave with baby Jane. The brothers bar the door, but Mrs. Runyon promises to return later for Jane.

Realizing, he has run out of time to send Kirk to the family he had selected for him, Robbie gruffly sends his tearful brother to another family. This all takes its toll on Robbie and he collapses, by a tree that they all craved their names on. He soon gets it together and says goodbye to Jimmie. As Jimmie knocks on the door of Mrs. Raiden, whose daughters were always calling him "cute," Robbie loads Jane into a small sled and pulls her ten miles, until he finds a cosy looking home with a kindly woman, who agrees to take them both in. Robbie is tempted for a minute and then continues through the snow back to Cullen's logging camp.

A wonderfully heart-warming movie about a large family, who's troubles lead to an extremely heart-breaking conclusion, that you will never forget. All the children give wonderfully, believable performances

Video: First of 11.



Hope Emerson (October 29, 1897 – April 25, 1960). Made her film debut in Smiling Faces (1932). In the 1940s, Emerson was well known as the voice of Elsie the Cow in Borden Milk commercials on radio.

Standing 6 ft 2 in, Emerson's most memorable performances were a circus strong woman in the film, Adam's Rib who lifts Spencer Tracy up in the air (1949), in the film noir, Cry of the City (1948) and as a mail-order bride in, Westward the Women (1952). Her most famous role, was as prison matron Evelyn Harper in the film, Caged (1950) which landed her an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actress.

7 comments:

  1. Dawn, I have never seen this film, but I have had it in my DVR for close to a year. TCM aired it maybe in March, and I recorded...just haven't made the time to watch it...not sure why. It definitely sounds touching and sweet.

    Thanks for this review, so I could learn a bit more about it.

    Have a wonderful Christmas,
    Patti

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  2. I'm always on the look out for films to watch at this time of year and All Mine To Give sounds wonderful.
    I especially like the fact that it features children so prominently and from what you say it sounds like the child actors were more than up to the mark.

    Happy Christmas Dawn and best wishes for 2012.
    Paul.

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  3. Patti, I hope that you enjoy watching this wonderful Christmas film.. What I found most interesting about it, was that it was taken from a true-life story.

    Paul, I have also been looking for a couple of "new to me" Classic Christmas films. Which I have found a couple to share with everyone here on N and C F, over the next week.

    I also wanted to let you know, how much I enjoy reading your blog, Pfeiffer Pfilms And Meg Movies. You have intoduced me to many wonderful films, that I may have never known about.

    I also, want to wish you a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!!

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  4. I haven't seen this one either, Dawn, but it sounds heart-wrenching!! Especially since it's based on a true story. Naturally, I'm curious about what happened to the real children of the story. I hope one of them wrote a bestselling book about their childhood and that it was eventually purchased by a studio to be adapted into this film. What a happy ending that would be!

    Merry Christmas, Dawn, and best wishes for 2012!

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  5. I did try and find the back story on this film. So far, I have not found anything on the internet. I was wondering if they ever saw each other again.

    Merry Christmas to you and your family!

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  6. Wow, I've never heard of this movie. It's definitely being added to my "Must Watch" list. Thanks!

    -B

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  7. Mighty B, Thank you for stopping by.

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