An 1890s widow has two daughters and two sons. The daughters fall in love with the same gentleman.An 1890s widow has two daughters and two sons. The daughters fall in love with the same gentleman.An 1890s widow has two daughters and two sons. The daughters fall in love with the same gentleman.
- Awards
- 1 nomination
Marie L. Day
- Old woman in Popham's store
- (uncredited)
Lew Kelly
- Paperhanger
- (uncredited)
Storyline
Did you know
- TriviaOriginally, RKO slated Katharine Hepburn to star in this picture. She had just been declared a "box office deterrent" by the Independent Theater Owners Association. She refused the role and consequently bought out her contract from RKO.
- GoofsAs Mr. Popham is hanging a picture, a studio light is reflected in the glass over the painting.
- Crazy creditsThe opening credits are shown as like framed embroidered samplers.
- ConnectionsReferenced in The John Garfield Story (2003)
- SoundtracksSailing, Sailing (Over the Bounding Main)
(1880) (uncredited)
Written by Godfrey Marks
Sung a cappella by the Carey family on the way to their picnic
Featured review
The story is about a family who loses the father early on in the film. But because they love each other so much and are so full of pluck and determination that they somehow live happy lives even though they are dirt poor. They live on love as well as the inexplicable deal that allow them to live in a beautiful mansion despite being so poor.
I like old fashioned films but, alas, I found "Mother Carey's Chickens" to be a bit too much--too cloying, too sentimental and, at times, a bit too miserable. I just think that there are better family dramas of the period than this one. I think if the film had a bit of humor and a bit less sentimentality (such as in "Life With Father" or "Meet Me in St. Louis"), it would have worked a bit better. It did have quite a bit of this humor near the ending but it could have used it throughout. Overall, it's just an okay but a tad syrupy time-passer.
I like old fashioned films but, alas, I found "Mother Carey's Chickens" to be a bit too much--too cloying, too sentimental and, at times, a bit too miserable. I just think that there are better family dramas of the period than this one. I think if the film had a bit of humor and a bit less sentimentality (such as in "Life With Father" or "Meet Me in St. Louis"), it would have worked a bit better. It did have quite a bit of this humor near the ending but it could have used it throughout. Overall, it's just an okay but a tad syrupy time-passer.
- planktonrules
- Sep 17, 2015
- Permalink
Details
Box office
- Budget
- $358,000 (estimated)
- Runtime1 hour 22 minutes
- Color
- Aspect ratio
- 1.37 : 1
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Top Gap
By what name was Mother Carey's Chickens (1938) officially released in India in English?
Answer