Always Goodbye

It's a touching tale that begins with a tragedy and the harsh realities of life in which Margo, played by Barbara Stanwyck, has to give up her child. Life goes on and she finds fulfilment in a career and a new love but there are some unexpected twists and turns ahead for her.

I'm so pleased to discover this movie; didn't know about it until today and it's a real treat to follow the careers of these stars. Ian Hunter was just out of his King Richard role in "The Adventures of Robin Hood," and shortly to make "The Sisters" and "The Little Princess." For a change he's been given a more prominent part to play here, which is nice as I considered him quite a good actor not given enough opportunities to 'shine' in dramatic roles.

One sees a younger Herbert Marshall before several great roles in the years ahead, always with that fine sounding, quality voice so memorable in many films, particularly in "The Razor's Edge." A very young Cesar Romero is amusing as the Count (not sure if he really is one though) and never hesitates to charm any woman within two feet of him! It keeps him rather busy, flitting from flower to flower, but such are his ways. He also has a chance to demonstrate his beautiful dancing skills as he was a professional early on in his career. Ms Stanwyck never seems to change much over the years in her beauty and acting talent.

This is a very human drama that time does not alter. I'd like to buy the video one day if ever it's available.

Herbert Marshall (HM) is one of my all-time favorite male actors. Barbara Stanwyck (BS) is one of the grand ladies of the golden age of the movies. The dashing Romero overdoes it a bit praising the beauty of every woman he sees and declaring his love to her, but with a little humor you can also accept him, not least because he correctly senses that little Roddy is the real competition for BS's heart, and he is understandably impatient and willing to sideline the kid.

BS plays the field, getting all manner of attention and rich gifts, even a well paying job, but does not appear to go to bed with any of her many suitors - I guess in 1938 that would have not been permitted by the Hays Commission or society's prevailing moral code.

In steps the little boy that BS gave away for adoption at birth and he is just so syrupy that I would gladly spend another night changing my crying children's nappies rather than watch such an excessively cute infant (no wonder Jessica, played by Lynn Bari, wants to flick him off so she can go gold-digging!)

Yet, he holds the key to the Oedipus complex element in this film: BS ditches the man she admits she truly loves (Marshall) to marry Mr. Marshall (Ian Hunter), the fellow who adopted her son. Quite a quid pro quo, in psychiatric context you might say that she actually marries her own son!

You can only wonder how long it will take Mr. Marshall to work out that her heart and mind belong to little Roddy. Seeing BS's reluctance to be bedded by her many attractive suitors, I doubt Mr. Marshall took long to figure it at all - and a divorce would suit Margot (BS) to a T: she'd get her son and half of fabulously rich hubby's wealth to boot!

So you have the makings of a film noir with a happy open ending and a femme who might or not become fatale, but certainly is a mother to reckon with!

Honest opinion? Both HM and BS featured in far more interesting flicks than ALWAYS GOODBYE.

This is the book Barbara Stanwyck reads to the little boy in the movie. I actually had a copy of it. I only remember Sambo was black and there were a lot of pancakes.

The book was banned some time during my childhood for being racist. I just checked Amazon it's still out there - tons of different publications apparently somehow cleaned up.

I bring this up as a point of interest.

That out of the way, Always Goodbye stars Stanwyck, Herbert Marshall, Ian Hunter, and Lynn Bari.

Stanwyck plays a woman whose fiancé dies in an accident just as they are about to be married. She is pregnant at the time, and gives her child up.

Well, I don't have to tell you what happens.

Stanwick is lovely. Cesar Romero is annoying as a man who chases every woman he meets, and Lynn Bari is very uppity as the fiancé of the boy's adoptive father whose wife is deceased.

Stanwyck has played much stronger roles. I felt like this was a waste of her talent.

The child, Johnnie Russell, is still alive. He went into a he foreign service and at one point served as Ambassador to Oman.

The thirties were a good time for melodrama,par excellence the female movie.In almost all the great melodramas of the era "Imitation of life" and " Only Yesterday" by Stahl or "Mannequin" by Borzage ,the woman realizes she's through with love and she becomes generally a brilliant business woman,be it in the pancakes ,the stock exchange or the chic fashion for selfish ladies who do not think twice when it comes to sending their soon-to-be adoptive child to a military school.

Routine situation in melodrama:Stanwyck's fiancé got run over and she is pregnant by him.In those ancient times,the only solution was to find a family where the child would be fine .But some fine day ,in old France,the mother meets again his little boy.Barbara Stanwyck gives a fine sensitive (and a bit mischievous:the way she gets rid of Jessica is delightful)portrayal .In the end, somehow or other, woman must be prepared to sacrifice something.That's the golden rule of melodrama.

Like this?try these

"The old maid " Edmund Goulding 1939

"To each his own" Mitchell Leisen 1946

Really enjoy Barbara Stanwyck and will watch any movie she's in. She can shore up even the most humdrum potboiler with her acting talent and make any picture better. Her mettle was tested in "Always Goodbye", a picture with nothing new to add to the romance genre, and she did the best she could. Alas, she was done in by a flat script and uninspired dialogue and despite an excellent support cast, featuring Herbert Marshall, Ian Hunter, Caesar Romero and Lynn Bari, among others. I'm not sure anything short of a rewrite could save this rehash of many other similarly themed pictures.

This picture was shown in error at Film Forum in NYC; The 1931 film with the same name was supposed to be shown but somehow this was substituted. Right now I would rather have seen the older one. Sight unseen, I'll bet it was better than this plodding trudge through the landscape.