Those We Love, one of K.B.S.'s top productions, is a sentimental story of family love, one of the very few occasions when director Robert Florey was called upon to depict a domestic milieu. Unfortunately, the property it was adapted from was rather poor and lacking in originality, although F. Hugh Herbert's screenplay contributed many improvements. While well-handled by the filmmakers in nearly all respects, Those We Love is very old-fashioned in the treatment of the theme, based upon a tired mixture of the romantic triangle, the "vamped" husband, and alas, "the tie that binds."
Despite the movie's having its origins on the stage, Florey manages to create a smoothly cinematic motion picture which has nothing in common with the stilted, unimaginative techniques often applied to such projects during the early years of sound. Those We Love is a well-mounted presentation, fast yet evenly paced, and cleverly photographed to minimize the script's reliance on dialogue rather than visuals to create the plot. There is basically a two-act narrative structure, beginning with the meeting of the couple on Armistice Day, their courtship and the early months of their marriage. It then skips ahead a dozen years, by which time they have a teen-age son and their union will be tried by temptation. Despite having the most minimal resources and only a few sets, the mood of both these different eras is effectively captured, especially in the opening scenes of post-World War I celebration.
The picture has the advantage throughout of an excellent performance by Mary Astor as the wife who must decide, uncertain of her husband's fidelity, whether to try and continue their marriage. She is well supported, especially by Lilyan Tashman (in a sprightly role as the temptress, although she was gravely ill and had only a few months to live), Hale Hamilton and many of the others in smaller roles and bits. Regrettably, it is true that the scenes with Astor are far superior to the ones in which she does not appear. The primary disadvantage of the movie is the periodic overplaying of Kenneth MacKenna, only sometimes credible in his role as Astor's husband, although he does improve considerably toward the end. Child actor Tommy Conlon, while sincere, seems almost caricatured by today's standards--despite the universal praise his acting received from critics at the time.
Even with these drawbacks, Those We Love is a generally better-acted film than most produced on a similar budget at K.B.S. or studios of its level. The primary distinguishing asset of the movie is the tension-filled, and rather more honest than usual climax, as the female rivals, Astor and Tashman, confront one another. Tashman turns out not to be the stereotypical "home-wrecker" or libertine, but the victim of an unhappy marriage and a cruel and philandering husband, waiting for an indiscretion on her part as an excuse for divorce; she is under constant surveillance and MacKenna is to be used as co-respondent. Although Astor still condemns Tashman, the viewer's reaction is one of considerably more understanding if hardly moral acquittal. This sympathetic treatment of a woman victimizing others as she has been herself adds an extra level of depth and complexity to the characters and emotional drama of Those We Love. Thus, while following the general expectations of the genre, the picture offers a few original touches (along with some satirical injections of humor) that maintain interest throughout and allow for a more universal audience appeal.
Despite the movie's having its origins on the stage, Florey manages to create a smoothly cinematic motion picture which has nothing in common with the stilted, unimaginative techniques often applied to such projects during the early years of sound. Those We Love is a well-mounted presentation, fast yet evenly paced, and cleverly photographed to minimize the script's reliance on dialogue rather than visuals to create the plot. There is basically a two-act narrative structure, beginning with the meeting of the couple on Armistice Day, their courtship and the early months of their marriage. It then skips ahead a dozen years, by which time they have a teen-age son and their union will be tried by temptation. Despite having the most minimal resources and only a few sets, the mood of both these different eras is effectively captured, especially in the opening scenes of post-World War I celebration.
The picture has the advantage throughout of an excellent performance by Mary Astor as the wife who must decide, uncertain of her husband's fidelity, whether to try and continue their marriage. She is well supported, especially by Lilyan Tashman (in a sprightly role as the temptress, although she was gravely ill and had only a few months to live), Hale Hamilton and many of the others in smaller roles and bits. Regrettably, it is true that the scenes with Astor are far superior to the ones in which she does not appear. The primary disadvantage of the movie is the periodic overplaying of Kenneth MacKenna, only sometimes credible in his role as Astor's husband, although he does improve considerably toward the end. Child actor Tommy Conlon, while sincere, seems almost caricatured by today's standards--despite the universal praise his acting received from critics at the time.
Even with these drawbacks, Those We Love is a generally better-acted film than most produced on a similar budget at K.B.S. or studios of its level. The primary distinguishing asset of the movie is the tension-filled, and rather more honest than usual climax, as the female rivals, Astor and Tashman, confront one another. Tashman turns out not to be the stereotypical "home-wrecker" or libertine, but the victim of an unhappy marriage and a cruel and philandering husband, waiting for an indiscretion on her part as an excuse for divorce; she is under constant surveillance and MacKenna is to be used as co-respondent. Although Astor still condemns Tashman, the viewer's reaction is one of considerably more understanding if hardly moral acquittal. This sympathetic treatment of a woman victimizing others as she has been herself adds an extra level of depth and complexity to the characters and emotional drama of Those We Love. Thus, while following the general expectations of the genre, the picture offers a few original touches (along with some satirical injections of humor) that maintain interest throughout and allow for a more universal audience appeal.