Emma (1932)

Sick Product of a Sick System

Highly Overrated But Still Good

It's the kind of movie you'll want to see a second time with someone who hasn't seen it yet, to remember what it was like to watch it for the first time.

This movie tries so hard to be funny, yet it falls flat every time. Just another example of recycled ideas repackaged with women in an attempt to appeal to a certain audience.

I saw "Emma" as a child over 50 years ago. I only remembered three scenes in it and never knew the names of the stars or the name of the film, for that matter. Thanks to IMDb, I was able to go on one of the message boards and find out the name of the film and that the star "who was a Marie Dressler type" as I recalled was indeed Marie Dressler (what instincts I had, even in childhood). I was just able to actually see the film on TCM. I'd love to know why it is we remember certain phrases and scenes growing up - the parts I remembered in "Emma" were exactly as I recalled them."Emma" is the story of a housekeeper who cares for a motherless family, actually raising the youngest, Ronnie (Richard Cromwell) when his mother dies in childbirth. The entire family is very dependent upon her. Mr. Smith (Jean Hersholt) over the years becomes very wealthy as an inventor, so his kids grow up in wealth and, with the exception of Ronnie, become horrific, ungrateful brats. Emma, of course, thinks they're wonderful and is blind to their faults. When Emma leaves for her first vacation, Mr. Smith accompanies her to the station, buys an extra ticket for Niagara Falls and proposes. The two enjoy their time there, but it's to be their only time as man and wife. Mr. Smith's chronically bad heart gives out, and he dies. All of his money is left to Emma with the proviso that she take care of the children, who would squander every cent unsupervised. The children (Myrna Loy, Kathryn Crawford and George Meeker) assume Emma is going to take all of the money for herself. To break the will, they accuse her of murdering their father. Emma is put on trial for murder. Ronnie is away in the wilds of Canada and doesn't learn about this until the trial is underway.This is such a sweet story, buoyed by the magnificent performance of Marie Dressler. What an actress! Warm, strong and honest, she pulls at your heart. The very handsome Richard Cromwell, Angela Lansbury's first husband, is the adorable and adored Ronnie, and he gives an energetic performance. Cromwell had an interesting life. Not only did he enjoy some years as an actor in A productions, but he was a successful artist his entire life. Eventually, he opened his own studio. After years out of films, he was scheduled to make one, but withdrew when he was diagnosed with cancer. Jean Hersholt is excellent as Mr. Smith. Myrna Loy as one of the brat kids is absolutely stunning, though she doesn't have much to do except to act stuck-up.Highly recommended. Any movie that can stay in your mind and heart for over 50 years has something going for it. Emma had several things, the best being Marie Dressler.

I must have missed something here because the movie seems to have found so many receptive viewers, but it's necessary to call them as I see them. And this one is a ball, wide and outside.The tale puts Marie Dressler in the role of Mammy in "Gone With the Wind," except that Mammy, or Emma, in this case being Caucasian, she gets to marry the rich doctor after his wife dies in childbirth.Of the four children, only one, Ronnie, is gay and loving towards her. The girls are snobs. When the dead doc leaves everything to Emma, Emma of course wants to give it to the children, but the girls gang up on her and Emma is accused of murdering the doc, while Ronnie, flying to her rescue, dies in a crash. Emma is found not guilty but, realizing that she has no place in the home any longer, after 32 years, she bids the girls adieu and heads for the unemployment office or rather -- what is it called now? The Employment Assistance Ministry? Anyway, in 1931, it was the unemployment office, and it still is, though they transpose the name into Esperanto. Not to fear. Emma finds another loving family exactly like the dead doc's and everything ends happily.Marie Dressler is unimposing in every way except for her physical bulk. Her performance is of the period, as is the sob story. The comic element is limited to Emma's fake solo in a flight trainer. I can't find the slightest thing original about it, nothing that would separate it from dozens of other movies made during the early thirties.It isn't a BAD flick. And Marie Dressler may have been a fine and loving person. It's the movie and just about everything in it that never rises above the precisely routine.

This was an outstanding movie and Marie Dressler was at her best, as usual!!!! This was slightly different from other Dressler roles because this was more of a dramatic role, rather than her usual brand of comedy, although she does have comedic scenes within the movie.She has so much depth to her role as Emma, the housekeeper (and nanny), and one can actually feel the joys and happiness when she's working with the family, as well as the pain, suffering, and sorrow she feels when her husband (played by Jean Hersholt) passes away. The scene that really got me the most, though, was right after inheriting her husband's money, his grown children turned on her. (These are the same children whom she looked after from their childhoods.) After demanding they leave the house, Emma begins to feel saddened by seeing visions of these young children she helped to raise from infancy. That scene really got to me. I felt her pain, wondering "How could these children grow up and turn on her like that?" And when her beloved step-son, Ronnie, died, that was really the clincher! I basically predicted THAT would happen but, nonetheless, I could still feel her pain.When watching this movie, grab your popcorn AND a box of Kleenex, because you will need them!!!!

Saw this early am today 2/10/04 on TCM want to see again..sentimental, weepy yes but so well done, and a beautiful Oscar Nominated performance by Marie Dressler... have not seen this before was impressed good cast, Jean Hersholt (who has an award named after him I believe ?). a very young Myrna Loy, and Richard Cromwell as Ronnie... couldnt place hin, seen before, thanks to Imdb I was reminded that he played Julie (Jezebel) other boyfriend(Ted Dilliard) in the classic Bette Davis film Jezebel... Emma is a little gem, and Dressler more than deserved her Oscar nomination ..She was so funny in the airport scenes & the train station scene where she losses (amongst other things)her corset...and so moving in the final scenes...Watch again,, thanks TCM & Imdb for the info....