Mr. Cohen Takes a Walk

Jake Cohen has spent thirty-five years, starting as a peddler, building up a big department store. He suddenly realizes his sons can run the business perfectly efficiently without him, his youngest son is in love with an Anglo-Irish girl (Oy!) and his beloved wife dies. Feeling useless, he takes a long walk through the English countryside of his youth.

It had been less than a decade since ABIE'S IRISH ROSE was the biggest hit ever on Broadway, and battling Irish and Jewish in-laws remained a staple of comedy for many years (Anyone remember BRIDGET LOVES BERNIE?), but this is a much gentler movie, with many beautiful and heartfelt family scenes. You may not find these characters believable. Believe me, they did exist once upon a time and this movie by the usually underrated William Beaudine -- better known for directing most of the Bowery Boys movies, but still working, at this stage, for a major studio and doing a fine job -- is well worth your time.