Department store clerk Polly (Ginger Rogers) is mistakenly believed to be the mother of an abandoned baby. She has to go along with it to keep her job. David Merlin (David Niven), the son of department store owner J.B. Merlin (Charles Coburn) takes a special interest in Polly's situation. Gradually the two fall in love but things are further complicated when J.B. is led to believe David is the father of Polly's baby.Delightful romantic comedy with wonderful performances from Ginger Rogers, David Niven, and Charles Coburn. Special mention for Frank Albertson in one of his better roles outside of playing Sam "Hee Haw" Wainwright in It's a Wonderful Life. Donald Duck also figures into things in an amusing way. I actually heard the radio version of this before I saw the movie. I heard it on satellite radio several years ago. It featured Ginger and David reprising their film roles. This is a fun, nicely-paced movie with an immensely likable cast that seems to be having a great time. Ginger fans certainly won't want to miss it as it's one of her best.

Ginger Rogers does well in this domestic romantic comedy as does David Niven. However the one spoiler has a major plot hole which nobody who has written about the movie has brought up. Ginger is supposed to be the mother of a child. OK...BUT...didn't the landlady who saw her every day notice that she was NEVER pregnant? That she never went to the Hospital? That she never saw the baby during it's first few months? All of a sudden Ginger shows up with a 6 or 7 month old baby. Where was the baby supposed to be during those first months? Just doesn't make sense. And how convenient that the landlady is always available to take care of the baby, day and night!!! Aside from this major story line, BACHELOR MOTHER is still a fun sit through, although the ending is quite confusing. Doesn't the David Niven character care that Ginger was never married and is supposed to have had the baby out of "wedlock"? Oh, and Charles Coburn was quite wonderful in his few scenes.

Bachelor Mother finds Ginger Rogers as a shopgirl working for the large department store that Charles Coburn owns. When she's let go at Christmas time she's going to have to worry where the next meal for her is coming. No position to be taking on dependents.Which is why when she finds a baby left on her doorstep she takes it to a foundling home where everyone assumes it's her's. When she tells her story about being let go, they're moved to do something about it. She gets her job back with a raise, but Ginger's a most unwilling mother.Of course the speculation gets going as to who the dad is and the playboy son of Charles Coburn seems a real likely possibility. Especially when you've got David Niven as the playboy. Garson Kanin directed the Felix Jackson original story in the film that became Bachelor Mother. The original screenplay was nominated for an Oscar in that category, but lost to Mr. Smith Goes To Washington.I saw the musical remake that RKO did 17 years later with Eddie Fisher and Debbie Reynolds and it was clear just how superior this film is to that one. Eddie was playing David Niven's part and while the man could sing, he hadn't a tenth of Niven's charm. To be perfectly fair though, there were few men as charming as David Niven, he carried more films on the strength of that charm than anyone else I can think of.Ginger Rogers was doing a great variety of dramatic roles now at RKO in between her films with Fred Astaire. She was really kicking her career into high gear at this point and would win an Oscar next year for Kitty Foyle. Hard as she struggles in this film to convince everyone she's not the mother it gets easier to just go with the flow. When you see where the film is flowing you'll agree.Bachelor Mother is a bright and witty comedy, not quite of the screwball variety, but still holding up quite well after more than 70 years.

I found this film annoying from the beginning and almost gave up on it. Through a ridiculous misunderstanding, a woman gets stuck with a rather ugly baby that apparently never needs to have its diaper changed. The next 90 minutes will be all about how she gradually becomes attached to it, yada, yada, yada. Geez I hate this kind of soppy crud.But wait, that's not what the film is really about. The baby quickly becomes a minor character. (Sigh of relief) In fact, it's really about Rogers' relationship with Niven. Although the baby keeps popping up here and there, it's just a reminder of what keeps this going. After the annoying start this turned into a delightful, mostly adult, farce that turned me right around. In the end you just wind up feeling like you had a good time. Even if you hate ugly babies.