To Each His Own

After winning her two-year court battle with Warner Bros., OLIVIA DE HAVILLAND became a free-lancer and got her big chance when Paramount offered her TO EACH HIS OWN, a script that had already been turned down by Ingrid Bergman and Ginger Rogers. Everyone shines in this movie, from the leads (OLIVIA DE HAVILLAND and JOHN LUND) to the smallest bit players.

De Havilland was perfect as Jody Norris, realistically portraying a young girl of seventeen and then various stages of maturity, ending as a brusque, middle-aged business woman in war-torn London of 1944. Her range as an actress is fully demonstrated and she does a remarkable job of playing the heroine at various stages of development.

John Lund is excellent too in a dual role (her lover and later her grown son), Bill Goodwin as a good-hearted pal, Philip Terry as another suitor who still loves her after marrying her friend (Mary Anderson). Anderson never had a better role than she does as the jealous, neurotic wife unwilling to let Jody have her own child back.

An intelligent script, detailed period direction by Mitch Leisen, fine background score by Victor Young and memorable moments from every player in the large cast. This is one Madame X kind of story that still holds up today. Probably the best soap-opera of the '40s, played to the hilt by a wonderful cast.

I would be remiss if I didn't mention Roland Culver as Lord Desham. Brilliant performance. And on top of all the drama, there's a lot of humor and touches of real Americana, especially in the early scenes depicting Jody's small-town life.

Summing up: This was a huge box-office hit in the summer of '46 and re-ignited Olivia's career after a three year absence from the screen.

To Each His Own covers more than twenty years in the life of Josephine "Jody" Norris (Olivia DeHavilland), a successful American-born businesswoman now working in London as an air raid warden. Jody thinks back to an earlier time in her life when she had fallen in love with a handsome WWI fighter pilot named Bart Cosgrove (John Lund, in his motion picture debut). Shortly after she becomes pregnant by Cosgrove, Jody learns he has been killed in action. To avoid public scandal, she concocts a scheme to keep her child, but it backfires. Her son, who becomes a fighter pilot like his late father, doesn't know who his real mother is. But Jody's confidante, Lord Desham (Roland Culver, in a wonderfully understated performance), does, and he believes it's his duty to right the situation. A superior soap opera, the film is deftly directed by Mitchell Leisen and features restrained, impressive performances by the entire cast. For her efforts as Jody, deHavilland won the 1946 Oscar for Best Actress. Victor Young's music is never overbearing, and Charles Brackett and Jacques Thery's screenplay is wise and intelligently written.

The title of the movie was misleading,but as a huge fan of Ms. de Havilland, I watched this movie. It was a very tender story of the enduring and endearing love a mother had for her child.

It brought to mind the contrast of today's societal views of unwed mothers(as it were).

The story made me even more grateful to have 3 wonderful sons.

I would love watch this movie with my mom and my five sister,on the day before mothers' day. What a good way to have your 'tears jerked'! What a celebration of motherhood!

I will be happy when it is released on DVD. Hopefully very soon.

This is a beautifully acted and realized "soap" kind of mother love films, which done in 1946, has the ability to still bring down the toughest EVIL MEANIE to his or her knees. De Havilland is deserving of the Academy Award she won for her range and her excellence as a screen actress. She may not have come from the Method school of training or RADA but her varied performances which can quite literally be called a brilliant melange of characters in THE HEIRESS to SNAKE PIT in which she is as good as it gets in female roles. Charlie Brackett wrote a tight screenplay for what could have gone on for hours and the art direction and music all work along with one of those great supporting group of character actors of the day. All told, it is De Havilland's controlled and believable performance that make this a film a must see for the most hardened critic. Grown men will not admit to liking this film because it more than likely will bring a tear of two.....it is that good.

After having only seen Olivia de Havilland in 2 films (Gone With the Wind and In This Our Life) I could tell she was a very natural actress, gifted at convincing you she is who she plays onscreen. I became interested in her and purchased To Each His Own on a recent holiday to America. I didn't know what to expect except I knew she won the 1946 Academy Award for Best Actress for her performance of Jody Norris in this wonderful film. Olivia puts a lot of actresses to shame with her understated, technical and extremely moving portrayal of a small-town girl forced to give up the son she bore out-of-wedlock to the county's richest family. Jody sells the family business once her father dies and goes to New York to roll in the high life and become a successful business woman. 20 years later she sees her son once again, and he learns the truth. A masterful performance by Olivia de Havilland and fine supporting performances, particularly by Mary Anderson as Jody's son's adopted mother and Robert Culver as Jody's friend Lord Deshem. A fine film that will have you in giggles and tears. Give it a chance, you won't be disappointed.