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It starts out like the original Imitation of Life where Louise Beavers shows up at Claudette Colbert's house looking for a job, but in this case it's Fay Bainter trying to sell her apple peelers on a cold, windy, snowy day in dreary Indiana. The film is very realistic in its portrayal of the weather, making you feel cold and depressed. When the lady of the house invites her in to get warm and Hannah sees the disorder in the kitchen, she(like Louise Beavers) sees a perfect opportunity to get a job with room and board.

Offering to save the family money (she sees immediately they are struggling), they take her offer and come to love her like family. She comes up with ideas like selling their old useless furniture for cash, gives Claude Rains a spot in the basement to work in peace on his experiments (he is a professor by day and an inventor by night). She is wise and has the instinct to know when something is going to go wrong trying to save the family whatever heartache she can.

When Jackie Cooper (spoiled rich boy) takes a job as Rains assistant, it is the beginning of his life changing him into a fine young man. Only by accident does he cause Rains harm thru an error of judgment. But justice prevails, as Hannah tells Rains to turn the other cheek and go on.

Hannah stumbling upon this house at a time when they are in need of help provides her the opportunity to get what she came for. That being said - all is well at the end. When you see her walking off in the snowy storm, the same way she came in, one cannot help but feel sorry for her - hoping that she would turn around and stay, but doing so would cause her too much pain. Like some of the other poster's, I taped this out of curiosity, and wound glued for the entire film. Definitely a keeper.