Hot 888 Mama " . . . go to the bank." So says title character Mama Hanson, to conclude each and every weekly family meeting. While the four Hanson kids never actually set foot in their mom's hypothetical bank, you would be wise NOT to try to watch this 1948 film classic relying on pretend facial tissues. Based on Kathryn Forbes' memoir entitled MAMA'S BANK ACCOUNT, it ends with a nod to Ms. Forbes' model, Louisa May Alcott (as youngest sister Dagmar has named each of the bunnies in her new litter for one of the LITTLE WOMEN). However, this somewhat more recent female-author-coming-of-age story is set in 1910 San Francisco, and there are no civil wars or earthquakes. Instead, the incidents in the lives of an extended Norweigen immigrant family are fairly ordinary, and the minimal number of outdoor scenes reflect the intermediate stage play version that preceded this movie adaptation. But, with four acting Oscar nominations reflecting the quality of its casting, one can only weep that Anne Frank did not live to see it. I REMEMBER MAMA would have been Anne's kind of show.

williwaw Irene Dunne was magnificent in George Stevens brilliant film I Remember Mama. Ms. Dunne nominated for an Oscar but lost to Jane Wyman's Johnny Belinda was never awarded an Oscar and shame on the Academy for never awarding Ms. Dunne an Honorary Oscar for both a great body of work but also impeccable personal behavior. The great star of Love Affair, Show Boat, Roberta, A Guy Named Joe, Anna And the King, I Remember Mama, et al. A great career that saw Ms. Dunne work with the best of Hollywood: Cary Grant, and Spencer Tracy, et al. And directors such as Leo McCarey, and George Stevens. Did Ms. Dunne ever give a bad performance, I cannot think of one. A great array of films from the western Cimmarron to a comedy Theodora Goes Wild, an array of great portrayals. And what a lovely singing voice!George Stevens beautifully directs this wonderful movie and kudos to the magical black and white photography. Producers such as Ross Hunter and William Frye did all they could to have Irene Dunne return to films but the star turned down every offer.

kenjha This comedy-drama looks at the lives of a family of Norwegian immigrants in early 19th century San Francisco. Dunne gives the best performance of her career as the loving and determined mother overcoming challenges while keeping her extended family together. Homolka is wonderfully hammy as the family patriarch, a booming drunkard. In fact, the entire cast does fine work, particularly Bel Geddes as the narrator, Dorn as the father, Hardwicke as a tenant, and Vallee as a doctor. Stevens does a beautiful job of evoking a bygone era. It's a bit overlong and the thick accents are a little difficult to understand, but it's nothing subtitles can't cure.

Ed Uyeshima There are two key reasons to watch this sentimental yet emotionally involving 1948 immigrant family saga today. The first is George Stevens' assured direction, his first post-WWII film and a palpable sign of his wartime experiences that portends his deepening sense of character in dramas like "A Place in the Sun" and "Shane" after his years of breezy comedies and musicals. The second is star Irene Dunne, who caps her impressively versatile screen career with a performance of unforced warmth and uncommon depth. With no make-up and sporting a convincing Norwegian accent, she provides the film's heart and emotional anchor as Mama.The framing device for the story is the recently completed manuscript by Katrin Hanson which she reads out loud while reminiscing about her Norwegian family in San Francisco circa 1910. A family of six living on hilly Larkin Street, the Hansons maintain their core family unit despite a lot of hardships and eccentric relatives. While father Lars toils as a carpenter to support his family, Katrin's memories inevitably revolve around her stoic mother Martha, who consistently shows the courage of her convictions. When spinsterish Aunt Trina decides to marry a milquetoast pharmacist, it is Martha who must get consensus from her intolerant sisters Jenny and Sigrid as well as Uncle Chris, a black-sheep blowhard who acts as the family patriarch. When Katrin's baby sister Dagmar goes to the hospital overnight, it is Martha who disguises herself as a charwoman to be able to stay with her. And when Katrin becomes discouraged enough to give up her writing aspirations, it is again Martha who finagles her way to meeting a famous author and convincing her to read one of Katrin's short stories.Beyond Dunne's exemplary work, there is a sturdy supporting cast to consider - Oscar Homolka bringing the requisite bluster to Uncle Chris, Ellen Corby in her only first-rate screen role as timid Aunt Trina, and at 25, Barbara Bel Geddes conveying convincing adolescent innocence as Katrin. DeWitt Bodeen's screenplay captures the episodic nature of the real Katrin Forbes' remembrance and one can assume of John Van Druten's Broadway play. It should be noted that without Stevens and Dunne, the film would surely feel far more interminable at its 134-minute running length. The 2004 DVD is sparse on extras offering only a three-minute introduction from George Stevens Jr. and the original theatrical trailer.