Saturday's Children (1940)

Review by All Movie Guide
Originally a play starring Humphrey Bogart, Saturday's Children was filmed twice before this version. The Epstein Brothers have done a commendable job of adapting and improving upon the Maxwell Anderson original. While there's still a certain amount of "sudsiness" to the screenplay and dialogue, and while some of the structure is a bit too pat and schematic, the story is involving and the characters have an undeniable appeal and attraction. Vincent Sherman's direction is smooth, if a trifle slick in places, and keeps the story moving without seeming rushed and hurried. The film's biggest asset, however, is its cast. Claude Rains turns in a sterling performance, creating a sympathetic character out of the plodding and often bumbling father, and Anne Shirley (in a role turned down by Olivia de Havilland) is touching and endearing. John Garfield is especially fine, taking a character that could come across as annoying and whiny and making him likable without betraying his more unattractive qualities; his shyness in particular becomes endearing. Saturday sometimes plays rather shamelessly with the viewer's emotions, but it somehow does so in an inoffensive way. ~ Craig Butler, All Movie Guide