Listonixio Fresh and Exciting

Huievest Instead, you get a movie that's enjoyable enough, but leaves you feeling like it could have been much, much more.

InformationRap This is one of the few movies I've ever seen where the whole audience broke into spontaneous, loud applause a third of the way in.

Geraldine The story, direction, characters, and writing/dialogue is akin to taking a tranquilizer shot to the neck, but everything else was so well done.

Uriah43 Having just lost her husband after an extended illness, "Jessica Drummond" (Barbara Stanwyck) has two boys and a controlling mother to contend with while she becomes increasingly lonely. The constant pressure on her to conform in the manner that a widow is expected to act in the early 40's begins to wear on her terribly. So, when it all gets too much she decides to accept the advise of a close friend named "Ginna Abbott" (Eve Arden) to accompany her husband "Cary Abbott" (John Ridgely) and her to Lake Tahoe for a winter vacation. While there she meets an army major by the name of "Scott Landis" (George Brent) who suddenly makes her feel alive again after such a long time. Unfortunately for her, the high society in which she has lived all her life doesn't accept the fact that she has begun seeing another man even though she hasn't done anything wrong. At any rate, rather than divulge the entire story I will just say that this is a good drama about social pressures during the period of time when America had just entered World War II. There is some moralizing here but the film also gives another point-of-view at the same time as well. A pretty good movie all things considered.

wes-connors Well-heeled widow Barbara Stanwyck (as Jessica "Jess" Drummond) is tearful following the death of her husband. The free-spirited Ms. Stanwyck doesn't want to wear black during the day, which infuriates appearances-conscious mother Lucile Watson (as Mary Kimball). Stanwyck becomes scared and lonely at night, especially after sending cheerful sons Scotty Beckett and Bobby Cooper (as Kim and Keith Drummond) off to boarding school. She fills her days by volunteering at the hospital, but, "When the day is over and I go up to that empty room," Stanwyck sobs, "the house is closing down on me!" Fearing a mental breakdown, Stanwyck accepts an invitation to go skiing with wise-cracking pal Eve Arden (as Ginna Abbott).Stanwyck gets lost on the slopes, and is rescued by manly George Brent (as Scott Landis). He fills her needs, which ignites gossip among those who feel Stanwyck cut her mourning period short. Mr. Brent tells Stanwyck he's not the marrying kind, but adores seeing her regularly. Tongues really wag after Stanwyck is spotted entering Mr. Brent's room. Ultimately, the affair causes Christmas vacationing youngsters Beckett and Cooper to run away from home. This part is a dramatic highlight, but the film seems to move both too slow and too fast at other times. A scene establishing the boys' sadness on their father's death, and more about Ms. Watson's character, would have been nice. Stanwyck and Watson are fun to watch.****** My Reputation (1/25/46) Curtis Bernhardt ~ Barbara Stanwyck, George Brent, Lucile Watson, Scotty Beckett

ptb-8 This is a terrific film; lushly produced at WB in 1943 and with a performance by Stanwyck that I am still thinking about days later. I am puzzled at some of the negative comments and reviews as I went completely with this film and her performance; not once did I consider it a 'weepie' or felt it was a Crawford or Davis cast off. ... although it did remind me that it could have been almost a sequel to NOW VOYAGER (see both and you will recognize what I mean). MY REPUTATION deals in a very adult and modern manner with the perils of gossip and perceived social status and the mental straight-jacket that entraps the vulnerable. It also deals with a woman's sexuality post widowhood and the effect it has on her teenage sons. The sequence late in the film where she explains this to the boys is one of the great scenes in 40s cinema. The use of shadow (James Wong Howe photography) is ideal. Barbra Stanwyck is breathtakingly beautiful all through this very humane intelligent film; with a supporting cast of strong humorous characters led by the gargoyle Mother played by stone-faced Lucile Watson... giving Gladys Cooper (VOYAGER) a run for her money, or Laura Hope Crewes from the genuinely shocking SILVER CORD from 1932. I had never heard of this title so I was genuinely enthralled and thrilled at MY REPUTATION. It appears the release was botched in 1946 leaving this 3 year old film on the shelf until then which made certain parts of the romance irrelevant to post war audiences. MY REPUTATION is an excellent film, with beautiful sets and art direction, hilarious whimsy and very strong adult themes. Even the Max Steiner score is lovely. Do not be put off by any carping about any aspect of this well intentioned drama... MY REPUTATION is intact (which is more than I can personally say for me today).

BumpyRide I'm sure that both Bette Davis and Joan Crawford must have passed on this script. This vehicle seems right up Crawford's alley, but to play a widow with two boys in prep school, certainly would not have appealed to her. Stanwyck, while doing a fine job, seems out of place in this Warner production. All the production values are there (including practically every stock player that Warner's had under contract) but I couldn't get passed Joan Crawford's presence that seemed to echo throughout the film. Perhaps this is somewhat dated material for I couldn't see why anyone would raise a well penciled eyebrow for her "dating" a service man, during WWII no less. Of course this material would be revisited with "All That Heaven Allows', with Jane Wyman dating a younger man instead of a service man. A nice time capsule of a movie.