Waterfront Women

Every year, like most families I suppose, we watch Alistair Sim's A Christmas Carol in December. Part of me always thinks that the people in that movie aren't really actors, so you can imagine my surprise when I saw Mrs. Dilber make an appearance in another movie! Kathleen Harrison is her actress name, and not only is she the matriarch in Waterfront Women, but she has 113 credits to her name on IMDb. And she lived to the ripe old age of 103! Anyway, in Waterfront Women, Kathleen lives in seaside Liverpool. At the start of the movie, her seafaring husband leaves her, and shortly afterwards she gives birth to her third child. As the film continues, she works hard to provide singlehandedly for her family, all the while pining away for her husband and hoping he'll return to her.

Kathleen's two daughters grow up very differently. Avis Scott, the elder daughter, follows in her mother's footsteps. She's a hard worker, and against her better judgement, falls in love with a sailor, a very young and handsome Richard Burton. The younger daughter, Susan Shaw, flirts with bad boys and gets into trouble. All three Waterfront Women give very good performances, and the plot moves quickly, with lots of twists to keep you guessing. This is a great one to watch with your girlfriends on a rainy Saturday!