My Son, My Son!

1940
Approved
1h 56m

IMDb RATING

YOUR RATING

Brian Aherne, Madeleine Carroll, and Louis Hayward in My Son, My Son! (1940)

A self-made successful man is determined to give his son the lavish upbringing he himself was denied. Not surprisingly, the son grows up to be spoiled rotten, causing grief and pain to every... Read allA self-made successful man is determined to give his son the lavish upbringing he himself was denied. Not surprisingly, the son grows up to be spoiled rotten, causing grief and pain to everyone who loves him.A self-made successful man is determined to give his son the lavish upbringing he himself was denied. Not surprisingly, the son grows up to be spoiled rotten, causing grief and pain to everyone who loves him.

Director
- Charles Vidor
Writers
- Howard Spring
- Lenore J. Coffee
Stars

See production info at IMDbPro

IMDb RATING

6.4/10

271

YOUR RATING

Director
- Charles Vidor
Writers
- Howard Spring
- Lenore J. Coffee
Stars

See production info at IMDbPro

Nominated for 1 Oscar
- 1 nomination total

Photos5

Storyline

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Did you know

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Trivia
Originally cast as "Oliver as a Child," Darryl Hickman became too ill to continue after ten days into the production, and was replaced by Scotty Beckett.

Connections
Referenced in You'll Find Out (1940)

Soundtracks
It's a Long, Long Way to Tipperary
(1912) (uncredited)
Written by Jack Judge and Harry Williams
Played by the band at the train station

User reviews17

Review

Featured review

7/10

The miracle of fatherhood

As Brian Aherne so eloquently states, there are tons of poems and stories dedicated to the virtues of motherhood, but hardly anyone talks about the transition from husband to father. This entertaining drama shows how fatherhood changes a man. Brian starts the film as a young man with dreams, plans, and ambition. His good friend, Henry Hull, doesn't make as many plans, figuring that life will take him along for the ride and it's enough of a struggle to keep up. The two pals become family men; Brian gets a son and Henry gets a daughter. As the years pass, we get to see how both fathers (but Brian in particular) treat their children.

Henry tries to raise Laraine Day up into a respectable lady, but Brian is far too indulgent with Louis Hayward. He caters to his every whim, lies to cover up his messes, and fails to teach him discipline. When will enough ever be enough? You'll have to watch this heavy drama to find out. I recommend it, even though parts are upsetting, because the story is timeless and the acting is very good. Just be prepared to hate Louis Hayward; he plays a very convincing villain.