Love on the Dole

Films like "Love on the Dole" were generally NOT made during the Depression...though the film IS about the Depression. What do I mean by this? Well, studios were worried about communism and fascism and such topics were hardly ever talked about until WWII began. Instead, they often churned out films with people who seemed to live in a world without a depression! There are a few exceptions, such as "Wild Boys of the Road"...but they were few and far between. I think that is why "Love on the Dole" came out during WWII...when memories about the miserable 1930s were but memories.

The story is about a family and how they coped with these hard times. Money, of course, is very scarce and so are jobs. But far worse things come up...such as one being killed in a riot, another being offered a 'job' as a man's mistress and one who finished his apprenticeship but could never find work.

The sum total of all this awfulness is a film about the Depression that is bound to create depression in the viewer. This is NOT a complaint. After all, the film was finally being truthful about the Depression and it's refreshing to see a film which mirrors the realities of the times. And, as such, it's exceptionally well made and honest...just not particularly pleasant to watch.

If you do watch, pay attention to young Deborah Kerr. She looks so different from her movies done post-war...and it's obvious she went through a major makeover.