My Reputation

June 2024 · 4 minute read

With the emphasis on a woman's struggle within herself over the ethics of behavior following her husband's death, this WB dramatization of the Clare Jaynes novel Instruct My Sorrows is okay.

With the emphasis on a woman’s struggle within herself over the ethics of behavior following her husband’s death, this WB dramatization of the Clare Jaynes novel Instruct My Sorrows is okay.

Pic’s greatest difficulty is getting started, scripter Catherine Turney and megger Curtis Bernhardt taking such pains to build up their characterizations that it is 35 minutes before George Brent hits the screen and causes the pace to pick up a bit.

Story emphasis is on psychological conflict rather than action. It attempts to picture the dilemma in the mind of an attractive young widow (Stanwyck) as she balances the demands of community and family convention against her desire to live her life as she sees it – namely, an affair with a rather attractive wolf in wolf’s clothing.

Unfortunately, the script fails to demonstrate the deftness which is necessary to present a conflict like this. It takes extreme skill to make all the needed points with a minimum of footage and to keep things moving on the screen.

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