Scanialara You won't be disappointed!

Doomtomylo a film so unique, intoxicating and bizarre that it not only demands another viewing, but is also forgivable as a satirical comedy where the jokes eventually take the back seat.

Ava-Grace Willis Story: It's very simple but honestly that is fine.

Wyatt There's no way I can possibly love it entirely but I just think its ridiculously bad, but enjoyable at the same time.

jacobs-greenwood Directed by George Cukor, this Noel Langley-Robert Morley play received a screenplay treatment from Donald Ogden Stewart. Morley, who'd played the lead role in the British stage production, was replaced by Spencer Tracy (who plays a "bad guy" for a change, very credibly I might add) in this film adaptation of the drama. Deborah Kerr (who received the first of her six unrewarded Best Actress Oscar nominations for her performance), Ian Hunter (who'd also been in the play), Mervyn Johns, and Leueen MacGrath (among others) round out the cast.Told in flashback by Tracy's character Arnold Boult, a man who from the very first insists on nothing but the best for his only son Edward (the title character is never seen in the film), despite pleas from his wife Evelyn (Kerr) and "warnings" from their family doctor and friend Larry Woodhope (Hunter), the story begins in 1919 London and progresses until (the film's) present day, 1949. A typical, and not particularly engaging, tale of spoiling one's child to excess, creating a "monster" with no sense of responsibility or respect for what's required and expected of young men (e.g. with regards to appropriate behavior).In the various flashbacks (the years are marked by title cards and/or numbered birthday cakes), we see that Arnold will do anything to ensure that the world is his son Edward's oyster. At first, as a struggling & financially strapped businessman who's partnered with Harry Sempkin (Johns), a man just released from prison, he commits arson after increasing the insurance payoff on his furniture business in order to afford an operation (by a specialist in Switzerland) for his son, required to keep the six year old from having a permanent limp. Later, as a successful financier, Arnold bullies the headmaster (Felix Aylmer) at Edward's prestigious boarding school to keep 12 year old Edward from being expelled. Colin Gordon plays a frustrated professor. When Edward is sixteen, and about to travel abroad with his mother, we see Arnold arranging to provide an extra 50 pounds allowance for his son, outmaneuvering his wife Evelyn, who's finally questioning Edward's judgment in the presence of Dr. Woodhope, who's not only held a candle for her all these years but had long since given up on the (character of the) other two men in her life.Sempkin, who has just been released from prison where he'd been implicated in some business malfeasance that he (rightly) suspects was Arnold's (CYA) doing, arrives to ask for a job. Arnold finesses his way out of actually helping his former business partner, leaving Sempkin feeling hopeless to the point that he commits suicide by jumping off the roof of Boult's building. With help from his ambitious secretary Eileen Perrin (MacGrath), Arnold is able to deflect the policeman's (Clement McCallum) suspicions, denying that he'd even met with Sempkin. Now partners in crime, Arnold and Eileen begin an affair which lasts for a year before they're caught by a private detective (Ernest Jay) working for Evelyn. Arnold then catches up with Evelyn abroad, where she'd planned on leaving him before (the unseen) Edward conspires with his father to keep her there. In the scene which perhaps earned Kerr her nomination, Tracy as Arnold now bullies her Evelyn into remaining in the marriage for Edward's sake. Realizing that she really has no other choice, she stays but becomes increasingly infirm over the years, drinking for solace, until her eventual death in 1945.Before Evelyn's death though, Arnold is shown to use Woodhope in the matter of Betty Foxley (Tilsa Page), whom Edward had gotten pregnant despite the fact that he'd been engaged to Phyllis Mayden (Harriette Johns). However, before Woodhope leaves "the conference" with Betty, he gives her sage advice about how to deal with Arnold, whose new secretary (for the three years since Eileen killed herself with pills) is played by James Donald. In 1941, Woodhope calls on the Boults again, shortly after Edward had accidentally killed himself while hot- dogging in his World War II bomber, taking his crew to their untimely deaths with him. Evelyn is now visibly aged and a drunkard. After she dies, Arnold seeks out Woodhope again in hopes of finding his grandchild, by Betty, but of course is denied any assistance by the doctor, who knows that Boult's business corruption is catching up with him. In fact, the time between this meeting in 1946 and the film's opening & closing monologues (in 1949) by Arnold (e.g. Tracy talking directly to the camera) were ostensibly filled with 3 years of jail time for Boult, due to the arsonist's 1924 crime!

George Wright Outstanding performances mark this movie from 1949 with Spencer Tracey, and Deborah Kerr in the leading roles. Kerr, in particular, demonstrates a range that comes only from a great character actor in her slow but definite slide from respectability to debauchery. Her appearance and speech usually remind me of Queen Elizabeth but she moves out of that upper crust bearing in portraying Evelyn Boult, the long-suffering wife. The movie feels like a stage play and the darkened sets give it a rather brooding atmosphere. Spencer Tracey is the ruthless businessman Arnold Boult, said to be modelled after Canadian Lord Beaverbrook, whose smile and joviality mask the true nature of a man who will do whatever is required to further his own interests. He also turns a blind eye to the unethical conduct of his wayward son Edward, who never appears on the screen. Edward's upbringing and youthful misdemeanours bother his mother who feels her husband is not instilling him with the proper values. Tracey is clearly the smiling charmer who can take advantage of his business associates and women alike. Tracey and Kerr's talents are ably combined with a supporting cast led by Ian Hunter as the family doctor, Leueen McGrath as his secretary, Felix Aylmer as the schoolmaster, and Mervyn Johns, an often morose character actor, as his broken partner. Actor Robert Morley wrote the script for the movie, which was also a stage play. George Cukor directed the movie, one of his many outstanding movies. This movie is not for the faint of heart but it does serve up some fine acting talent.

MartinHafer I'm really not sure why Leonard Maltin was so hard on this movie. The acting and writing are great and the story has a lot to say about effective parenting that could help the viewers not to make the same mistake as the lead character.The movie is very odd in that although Edward is important to the picture, you never actually see the boy in the movie. The film is a series of flashbacks that show Edward's parents. Initially, they seem like decent folks, but over time, success and making something for his son becomes so important to the dad (Tracy) that he does the most ungodly things along the way. The descent into the evil abyss becomes worse and worse--all the while, the marriage becomes more and more shallow and indecent. The only thing holding this relationship together is their love for Edward. However, Tracy's ruthlessness begins to bear fruit in Edward. Although you are not shown it, you hear about his exploits and learn that he is becoming a monster--just like good old dad. When this lack of discipline ultimately destroys Edward, Tracy (true to the character) cannot allow himself to even consider accepting ANY blame for Edward's fall--it MUST be SOMEONE else's mistakes! This is SO realistic, as parents who create monsters are usually not the introspective types who question themselves about their possible role in the child's character.As a school teacher, I guess I really appreciate this because I have dealt with a few parents who have raised little monsters and who tend to blame EVERYONE (the school, society, other kids, etc.) for the shortcomings of their "angels".UPDATE: If you enjoyed this film, I would also like to recommend "A Modern Hero". It has a lot of similarities to "Edward My Son" and would make a great double feature!

bizweb Very sophisticated writing and restrained acting performances make for a compelling drama of a ruined father's dreams. Spencer Tracy plays the not very lovable father who's desire to protect and give "the best" to his son distorts his behavior with all those around him, including Deborah Kerr as his wife, his business partner, and ultimately his son himself, whose character is never allowed to develop. A nice conceit is that we never see the son, Edward, just his birthday cakes.