Room for One More (5 stars)

Room for One More, a sweet and tender movie from 1952, stars the very dashing and distinguished Cary Grant and his then-wife, Betsy Drake. (Betsy was the third Mrs. Cary Grant, and they were married for a little over ten years...the longest of any of his five marriages.)   I reviewed this film over a year ago when I first started my blog---it was the 4th post I ever did.  However, with it being Mother's Day, I've enjoyed a re-watch---which found me going from 4 to 5 stars---so I thought a re-write of that post was in order.

The movie is based on a book of the same name and is based on the real-life experiences of the author. It is a touching movie, which got me misty-eyed on three occasions. It is rather a different role for Cary Grant...he plays paternal here, and I think he does it beautifully.  He and Miss Drake were in the early years of their marriage in this movie, and the chemistry between them is terrific.

The story is about George and Anna Rose (George is called "Poppy" through almost the whole movie...even by his wife.) George and Anna have three elementary-aged children, but Anna's heart is extremely tender, and when the head of The Children's Society expresses a need for homes for older children, Anna promises to talk with her husband about the possibility of them taking one.

Before long, Jane comes to their home. Jane has known the pain of parental neglect and, therefore, is hurting and afraid to trust anyone. With a sullen attitude, she joins the Rose family...on a two-week trial. However, by the end of the two-week period, ALL in the family (including Poppy) have grown to love her and do not want to let her return to the Children's Home.

Shortly thereafter, Anna hears of a young orphaned boy in need of a place to go for summer vacation. George says they already have more children than they can afford, so he is adamant that they cannot take the boy. However, when he goes to the boy's school to inform them of that, he is appalled to discover the treatment the boy has been getting. He has braces on both legs, which means he sticks his legs into the aisle; the teacher, however, punishes him for that, making him sit under her desk. After discovering that, Poppy decides that his family WILL, in fact, open their home to little Jimmy John.

The remainder of the movie chronicles how foster care worked to make Jane and Jimmy John a functioning and loved part of a family. It really is very sweet movie. No major dramatic moments...just several comical moments and some very tender ones. For Cary Grant fans, Room for One More is a definite must-see!! It is out on DVD, so you ought to be able to track it down.  Plus, it is on the TCM schedule For Sunday, July 29th, at 1:45 pm (ET).