Anne Shirley and John Garfield in "Saturday's Children" (1940) by Vincent Sherman

Anne Shirley and John Garfield in "Saturday's Children" (1940) directed by Vincent Sherman, screenplay by Julius J. & Philip G. Epstein.

"Saturday's Children", Warner's latest remake of the Pulitzer Prize winning author Maxwell Anderson's play of the '20s, still is good as human drama with comedy sidelights. Basic plot varies from Anderson's play, but still retains essential ingredients of youthful romance and young couple's tour through financial straits and marital difficulties which sends them to the verge of separation.

John Garfield delivers impressively as Rims Rosson. Anne Shirley is excellent as Bobby Halevy, the romantic girl and wife. This is the role, originally assigned to Jane Bryant, who reneged and retired when married, which was responsible for contract suspension of Olivia de Havilland by Warners on refusal to assume it, and resulted in an undisclosed newcomer being replaced by Shirley after an unsatisfactory two reels were shot. Claude Rains is strong in the support as girl's plodding and sympathetically understanding father.

Story tells romance of Garfield and Shirley, with latter forcing the marriage proposal on eve of his departure for a big opportunity in the Philippines. Script by the Epstein brothers develops story at a fast pace. -Extract of a review from 1940. Source: stage.variety.com


Great clip of Anne Shirley and John Garfield as young lovers in the movie "Saturday's Children".