The Times of India ran an interesting little article yesterday (I tried searching for it online, but sorry – can’t find it), as part of its run-up to Mother’s Day. It was a little piece about a mother who found herself reduced to a pair of hands – “can you open this?”, “can you fix this?” and so on – often completely ignored unless her children needed something done. She was feeling a bit blue, when a friend, who knew what she was going through, gifted her a book on the cathedrals of Europe – with a little note. On how cathedrals aren’t built in a day, they take years of very hard work, and nobody knows, years later, who made them. That, said the note (and the article) is how it is with mothers.
So, on Mother’s Day, a tribute to mums across the world. But, most especially, a tribute to my mum, whom I simply adore, and who is the sweetest, kindest, most gentle person I know. I love you, Mama.
Interestingly, Irene Dunne’s character in I Remember Mama reminded me in many ways of my own mother – she’s sensitive (sensitive about her own feelings, but equally importantly sensitive about those of others), very hard-working (“I never saw her unoccupied”, as her daughter says later), emotionally mature, and the backbone – financially, emotionally, physically, and in every which way – of her family.
But, more about the film. Though the bulk of the story happens in 1910, the film itself begins a few years later. Katrin (Barbara Belle Geddes) is typing out the final sentences of her book – a book about her mother. She types The End, and then turns towards the camera and starts reading out the story.
This is the story of the Hanson family. Mama, Marta Hanson (Irene Dunne) is the mother:
And Papa, Lars (Philip Dorn) is the father.
They have four children. The eldest is the son, Nels (Steve Brown):
Then comes Katrin…
…followed by Christine (Peggy McIntyre):
And the littlest, Dagmar (June Hedin) – who loves animals and has a pet cat named Uncle Elizabeth.
Mama and Papa were both born and brought up in the ‘Old Country’ (Norway), but shifted to the US, and San Francisco, because Mama’s sisters had come here, to the land of opportunity. All three of Mama’s sisters live in San Francisco too, and are frequent visitors to the Hanson home. There’s bossy, stern-eyed Aunt Jenny (Hope Landin), who is always criticising everybody and ticking them off for not conforming to her standards.
There is Aunt Sigrid (Edith Evanson), who is always with Aunt Jenny, but instead of being strict and bossy, is a whiner – always going on about how she’s put upon, how bad things are, and so on. To some extent, she’s probably right because fate does seem to have dealt her a bad hand: her only son, little Arne (Tommy Ivo) has fractured his knee cap and limps badly as a result of that.
Then there is their youngest sister, the still unmarried Aunt Trina (Ellen Corby), who is a nervous, frightened little wisp of a creature. Aunt Trina is so timid that when she falls in love – with an undertaker named Mr Thorkelson (Edgar Bergen), she is too terrified to even approach Jenny and Sigrid with the news. Instead, she comes to Marta – Mama – and tells her, begging Marta to be her champion and tell the rest of the family.
Even more terrifying – and not just to timid little Aunt Trina, but even to the children – is Mama’s Uncle Chris (Oscar Homolka). Uncle Chris is a wealthy man who lives on a ranch and comes to San Francisco once a year, driving up to the Hanson house in an automobile that he drives like a maniac, frightening half to death all the carriage-horses and pedestrians on the street.
Uncle Chris is very loud, literally. He thunders and roars, yelling at everybody in sight and pounding impatiently on any door that won’t open to him at first pound. About the only person he does seem to like and respect is Marta, possibly due to the fact that Marta is the only person who has the nerve to tell him, to his face, that she is not frightened of him.
There is another person whom Uncle Chris doesn’t intimidate, and that is his housekeeper Jessie (Barbara O’Neil) – a dignified and beautiful woman who now, to the horror of Jenny and Sigrid, is living in with Uncle Chris. He even brings her to San Francisco, but not into the Hanson home, when he visits them. (Mama, unlike Jenny and Sigrid, has no compunctions about being seen sitting in the same automobile as ‘that woman’; she even goes as far as to say she thinks Jessie looks like a nice woman).
Lastly, there is Mr Hyde (Cedric Hardwicke), the old gentleman who rents an upstairs room in the Hanson home. When the story opens, Mr Hyde hasn’t paid his rent in several months, but Mama – who thinks it would not be ‘good’ to ask him for the money – has kept quiet about the debt. Mr Hyde, however, is very popular with the Hansons because every night, after dinner, he reads to them. A Tale of Two Cities, The Hound of the Baskervilles… all are grist to Mr Hyde’s mill, and he reads them in thrilling, awe-filled tones to the Hansons as they cluster around. It is thanks to Mr Hyde’s obvious and deep love of books that Katrin realises she wants nothing as much as to be a writer.
Those are the dramatis personae. They’re all important, to some extent or the other, to the story. They flit in and out of this episodic narrative, some characters appearing in one mini-story, others in another; but the central character – the one around whom the Hanson household revolves – remains Mama. She is introduced to us as the banker of the family, the one who, every Saturday, gets out the accounts, accepts Papa’s earnings for the week, and balances the income with the outgo…
And, after the grocer’s bills, the odds and ends needed by the children, Papa’s pipe tobacco, etc has been paid for, Mama is the one who sits back with a contented sigh and says “Is good. We will not have to go to the bank.” The bank account, the children know, is only for the direst of emergencies – they will touch that only if there is no other option. Meanwhile, for smaller unforeseen expenses, there is the ‘little bank’ at home: a small box in which any savings – invariably, only a few dollars, perhaps not even that much – go. When the little bank proves inadequate, the Hansons voluntarily pull together to ensure that they go on: Papa offers to give up his tobacco, Nels decides to take up a part-time job at a local store, and so on.
I Remember Mama is not so much a story of a family, but a series of glimpses of what it is to be part of a family. Of how misunderstandings and individualities (and individual failings such as selfishness and pride) can come in the way of familial happiness. Of how love and loyalty, gentleness and sensitivity to others can help, and – most importantly – what it means to be a mother.
I must admit that I am somewhat more familiar with Hindi cinema of the 50s and 60s than I am with classic Hollywood, even though I have seen a huge number of films from both regions. What struck me when I watched I Remember Mama was the maturity that Irene Dunne’s character shows in the film. This is not your typical Hindi film mother, who was usually shown as fairly one-dimensional: self-sacrificing and loving her children to distraction, making them the centre of her universe – but otherwise not much else as a woman.
True, Marta Hanson is a loving mother – a very loving mother, who is willing to sacrifice one of her most prized possessions for the happiness of a daughter. Or who can be exceptionally creative when it comes to finding a way to circumvent rules that prevent her visiting her child who’s in hospital…
…but Mama’s love is confined not just to her children. It extends to others too. Her sympathy and understanding, especially for those who so clearly need it, shines forth in her interactions with her timid sister Trina, or with the indebted Mr Hyde. And none of this means that Mama is a weakling who allows people to trample all over her. She’s warm and loving, yet she has backbone. Plenty of it.
Through it all, too, Mama’s character is revealed further: an emotionally strong, mature woman, sensitive, wise, immeasurably kind – and with a sense of sly humour that makes her threaten blackmail when Jenny and Sigrid try to ride roughshod over poor Trina.
I Remember Mama remains one of the most heart-warming ‘family’ films I’ve ever seen. It’s sweet (but not syrupy), it is a wonderful insight into what family is all about, and its characters are etched in beautiful shades of grey. True, Mama is mostly all white, no grey to her – but still.
A wonderful little film, which made tears come to my eyes every now and then, whenever I’ve watched it. If you love your mum, don’t miss this one.
What I liked about this film:
Irene Dunne. Though she didn’t win an Oscar for her role as Marta Hanson (she was nominated, as were Barbara Belle Geddes, Ellen Corby and Oscar Homolka), this is one of her finest performances. She fits the character of Marta Hanson to a T, and makes her come brilliantly alive.
The scripting, the story, the way it’s all set up. And the dialogue, now and then, which took me back to my own childhood and my relationship with my Mama:
Mama (going about her work, noting her daughter walking through the drawing room, dragging her feet): “Pick up your feet.”
Or this:
Daughter (wrapping her arms about Mama, when it looks like the daughter’s cat is dying): “Mama will make him well… Mama, make him live.”
Yes, Mama can do the impossible. Really.
What I didn’t like:
I’m being nit-picking, I admit it. There’s one deathbed scene which I found somewhat unreal, because the person who’s dying looks too alive to be here one moment, gone the next.
That’s too minor, though, to be a real flaw. There is enough in this film for it to be loved for itself – and a lot of lessons, actually, on not just being a good mother, but on being a good human being.
Dustedoff 
Sounds so heartwarming. Will definitely see this one. By the way, that’s a lovely picture of you and your mum. Frame it :)
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Thank you, Sharmi! (Actually, that photo is one half of a larger picture – my father and my sister are in the other half. but since this post was mainly about me and my mum, I decided Sis and papa could be left out of the picture for the moment) ;-)
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What a lovely tribute to mothers on this day.
Your mother is very lovely….and that cherubic little girl is you, I presume. :)
Regarding the review, I got quite confused with so many characters, but the main character (mama) was easy to follow. Liked how she is, loving not only her family, but others too (which of course makes her too white, as you say).
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*blush* Yes, the little girl is me. I was 8 years old, then, I think – or at the most 9.
There are rather a lot of characters in the film, but when you actually get down to watching it, they’re easy to keep track of, because all the episodes of the ‘story’ revolve around just these people. Mama, though, is especially wonderful – such a lovely person.
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Sounds interesting, Madhu. Have put it on my to-see list. BTW, just finished watching How to Steal a Million, and *loved* it. Thanks for the reccomendation!
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Oh, I’m glad you enjoyed How to Steal a Million. It’s so interesting, isn’t it? Loads of entertainment there! Have you seen Charade? (Also Audrey Hepburn, also crime, and France)? Another super film.
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What a lovely picture of you and your mom :-)
The film sounds really wonderful. I love the acting in old Hollywood movie; I am sure this one will be no different. I am putting it on my list of movies to watch.
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Thank you. :-)
I agree with you re: the acting in old Hollywood films. Irene Dunne has long been a favourite of mine (I first saw her in Love Affair, which was the original An Affair to Remember – the Cary Grant-Deborah Kerr film was a frame-by-frame, dialogue-by-dialogue copy of the earlier film; and Irene Dunne was superb in that). Here, she’s much older – she would’ve been 50 when I Remember Mama was made – and she exudes a strength of character which is very impactful.
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My own favourite Mama film is Ingmar Bergman’s Autumn Sonata (1978), which may not be recommended for Mother’s Day viewing, as, I am sure you would be aware, it is full of hurt, pain and misunderstandings between a mother and two daughters. Though I have seen the film a number of times, every time I am deeply impressed by the searing performances of the mother Ingrid Bergman and the elder daughter Liv Ullmann, the script, dialogues and direction of Bergman. With layers of meaning the film lends itself to some very deep analysis – I would love to see you do the review of the film.
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I have heard of Autumn Sonata, but have never got around to trying to lay my hands on it. Will do so now, because of your recommendation, and because I’ve discovered that it starred Ingrid Bergman – I will willingly see just about anything she acted in, she was such a fine actress. I won’t review it, though, because this blog is confined to pre-70s cinema, but I will certainly let you know what I thought of it! Thank you for suggesting that. I’ll keep my eyes open for it.
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What a lovely picture of you and your mum :)
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Thank you! :-)
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Mothers!
Yeah, they are a good lot!
I can’t really remember a mother film, which I like, though many have recommended Autumn Sonata.
But this seems to be a nice story as well. Very old-fashioned and sturdy!
BTW love the foto of yours with your mum. Like some say ‘cho chweet’!
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‘cho chweet’? Oh, lord! But thank you, too. :-)
Yes, I Remember Mama is old-fashioned and sturdy in a lovely way – the Hansons aren’t one of your dysfunctional families where everybody vents their frustrations on everybody else… there is, though not blatantly, a lot of emphasis on patience and love and being unselfish. Sweet film.
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I should say your mum is a one beautiful woman.
You share the eyebrows, eyes, nose and lips!
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“You share the eyebrows, eyes, nose and lips!”
*Swoooooon!!!!*
That is the best compliment I have ever received, harvey! Oh, thank you so, so much. :-)
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Just telling the truth!
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Thank you. I am very flattered, because I do think my mum’s very beautiful. And this photo was taken at a time she had a lot of health problems!
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And you ARE a beautiful woman. I think you know that yourself. :-)
Your mother has such a serene look on her face here. Lovely!
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WHAT??!! No, I do not know that myself. But you have just made my day, my week and my month. :-) :-) Thank you!
And yes, my mum’s serenity is one of her strongest points.
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A truly touching introduction and review, makes me want to see the film.
I would however like to add something here, you have mentioned that the death-bed scene looked unreal for the person dying looked too alive. Well you will be surprised by what life makes you experience, I have had the misfortune of experiencing something similar that is too alive one moment but gone the next moment.
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Thank you, Shilpi – yes, I did think too that that article about how mothers are like the makers of medieval cathedrals was very touching. If you ever get a chance, do see I Remember Mama: it’s a lovely film.
“I have had the misfortune of experiencing something similar that is too alive one moment but gone the next moment.”
I am so sorry. Something similar recently happened to someone I know – one of their relatives died of a heart attack (he was in his mid-50s), and less than 8 months later, the dead man’s 25-year old son died too, of a heart attack. Completely out of the blue, here one moment and gone the next. Shattering for the already-bereaved family.
My main contention with the deathbed scene in this film was that it was too abrupt a transition. Everybody knew that this person was dying; there was enough time to call people, enough time for people to travel a couple of days and come – and even while sitting in bed, the person was drinking and laughing and chatting, then gone…
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This has to be one of the sweetest, most genuine pieces of writing I’ve ever read. Who knew a movie review could have so much *heart*? Shall try to see the movie, even though Irene Dunne rubs me the wrong way sometimes.
And now I must so hug my Mom…:-)
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“And now I must so hug my Mom…:-)”
Yes, that was the whole point of it. :-) I think most of us do love our mothers a lot, but somewhere, especially when they’re around all the time, keeping us warm and fed and happy, we tend to forget how much we owe them… and now I’m getting tears in my eyes and should probably be phoning up my mum and talking to her a while.
Thank you for the appreciation!
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Madhu, I didn’t want to comment because this strikes a bit too close for me – today is one month to the day that I lost my niece. But, I want to say, it was a touching post, and yes, mothers do get taken for granted.
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Oh, I am sorry, Anu. RIP. I can imagine how you would feel – just the very thought of it makes me shudder, I love my niece so much.
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Wonderful write-up and adorable picture! One of my favorite lines in the film is something like this: Jenny:…And what do you have to do that’s so important? Mama: I have to chloroform a cat! Interestingly one of the comments mentioned Liv Ullman. In 1979 she played Mama in a 1979 Broadway musical version.
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Thank you, kenjn60! I’m glad to fine someone who’s actually seen this film and likes it. :-) Yes, that “I have to chloroform a cat!” dialogue is a very good one – and I love what happens as a result of that, finally. Lovely film, and such a good blend of gentle humour and emotion. Didn’t know Liv Ullman played Mama! I believe there had been an earlier stage version too, pre-dating the Irene Dunne film. I think Oscar Homolka had acted Uncle Chris in that stage version, too.
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This sounds like a very good movie to watch. I love old Hollywood (are you surprised? ;-) ) though it’s been a while since I’ve watched an old Hollywood movie.
And if I may say so, you and your mom look just fantastic in that pic. And I’m not saying it just to be nice. :-)
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No, I am not surprised that you love old Hollywood! :-) Actually, I think if one is open to the obvious differences in culture, a lot of old Hollywood does find echoes in old Bollywood. And then, too, I think films like I Remember Mama are among those ‘universal’ ones; they are the type you can understand and appreciate even if you don’t really identify completely with the culture of the main characters.
And thank you so much for the compliment! Much, much appreciated! :-)
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That’s such a lovely picture of you and Mama
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This movie is based on a novel and play by Katrin – I remember reading it when I was in school and loving it. It’s actually a memoir, which is why the characters are so well-rounded and authentic.
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I hadn’t known that. Yes, the fact that it’s a memoir probably goes a long way in making it so believable and touching.
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