The production code mars the end of Edward, My Son. In the final moments, Spencer Tracy's character is punished for a crime that occurred at the very beginning of the film. He committed much worse acts throughout the rest of the story. Is he punished for any of those?I suppose if you read into this film deeply enough, you will walk away with the realization that Mr. Tracy's character is his own judge, jury and executioner. That he gets away with many of his crimes but creates his own misery could be some sort of strange consolation. An otherwise excellent film, it contains solid performances by Tracy and his costar Deborah Kerr (in the first of her many Oscar nominated roles).Refilmed in 1955 for an episode of 'The United States Steel Hour,' which starred Robert Morley and Ann Todd. Mr. Morley was a co-author of the play and appeared in the original stage production.

In a number of respects, this is a remarkable film. There's a mostly remarkable performance by Deborah Kerr -- mostly since she was brilliant up until playing and old drunk, and I do think she didn't do that particularly well. There's the clever plot technique -- you never actually see Edward, the son...but that emphasizes the whole point of the film -- it's not about Edward, the son, it's about the monster that his father becomes and how that father destroys so many people in order to spoil his son. And that brings to mention the superb portrayal by Spencer Tracy...one of my two favorite actors. Over the years we certainly saw Tracy play many types of roles -- he could play drama or comedy with equal ease. But it was rare to see him as the "bad guy", and in this film he is rather despicable. Yet, somehow...perhaps just because he is Spencer Tracy...the viewer doesn't hate him too much, because mixed in with our contempt is pity. But of course, the bigger they are (and in this film Tracy becomes a millionaire Lord), the harder they fall, and his lifelong plans for his son come to naught by...well, if you haven't seen the film, you should find out for yourself. Ian Hunter, the doctor/friend, is played to perfection. There's some wonderful acting in this film, particularly by Tracy, and some of the dialog is simply scintillating. But remember that this film is straight drama, not a soap opera. It is not as slick as some Hollywood fare, probably because it was a British film. If you like a serious drama, you'll find this film riveting.

My parents were movie buffs and I grew up watching films. I am a devoted Deborah Kerr fan since childhood, and I thought I had seen all her important films; but I had missed "Edward, My Son", which I watched recently on TV. An admirer of Miss Kerr's poise, beauty, and professionalism, of her subtly conveyed emotional intensity and compassionate lucidity (undoubtedly buttressed by her choice of roles, especially in the fifties and sixties), I was blown away by the sheer brilliance of her performance in this film. I give part of the credit for her success to George Cukor's directorial efforts; Mr. Cukor was indeed a "women's director", largely responsible for Katharine Hepburn's early success, and for guiding (among others) Vivien Leigh, Judy Holliday, and Miss Kerr through Oscar-winning or nominated screen performances. The film's plot, in my opinion, is clever. Edward is a strong a presence as Sebastian in "Suddenly Last Summer", although his face is never shown. The moral disintegration of a marriage and of a loving wife is effectively narrated, particularly thanks to Deborah Kerr's stunning performance. It is sad to think this is only the first of many Oscars stolen from her throughout her movie career. It has always appeared as a mystery to me why Hollywood moguls believed Spencer Tracy was a versatile actor. Although he is always believable as a nice, warm "everyman" in most of his films, I think his range was (to say the least) limited. One can't help but wonder what a more expressive actor of his generation, such as Fredric March, would have done with the character of Sir Arnold Boult. Among English actors, my personal choices would have been Michael Redgrave or Ralph Richardson; but it was, after all, an MGM movie. At least Tracy is not as miscast as, for example, Gregory Peck (another actor of limited range)playing an English barrister in "The Paradine Case".The supporting cast was excellent,in my opinion; especially the actress who played Sir Arnold's secretary and mistress, and the dependable Felix Aylmer. "Edward, My Son" does not betray its theatrical origins and is an unusually somber film, considering MGM's usual emphasis on visual charm and gloss.

This unusual offering from M-G-M recalls the days of the short-lived M-G-M British Studios, which produced "A Yank at Oxford", "The Citadel", and the original "Goodbye, Mr. Chips", all in the 1930's. "Edward, My Son", based on a successful British play, was filmed entirely in England, using an entirely British cast,except for Spencer Tracy, and an almost entirely British production staff (the sole exceptions are the producer, the director, and the composer of the music). The familiar M-G-M production gloss is much more subdued here, perhaps in an effort to lend atmosphere.Spencer Tracy gives an outstanding performance in what is very likely the most unsympathetic role of his career, save for perhaps a few very early gangster roles which I have not seen. Here he is Arnold Boult, a ruthless, driven man who seemingly just wants to make sure that his only child Edward always has the best in life. At first, Boult wins our sympathy by secretly trying to give his son medical care he desperately needs, but we quickly learn what he is really like as he resorts to every dirty trick in the book, short of actual murder, to insure his son's happiness, and showing an amazing insensitivity and callousness to those around him in the process. As the film proceeds, his behavior shocks us more and more, until he finally alienates and disgusts us completely.Matching Tracy's performance every step of the way, though she has far less time on screen, is Deborah Kerr in the role of Boult's victimized and emotionally scarred wife. Kerr was nominated for an Oscar for this performance, and her portrayal of a woman who goes from adoring wife to a totally embittered woman with a severe problem, is wrenching. Mervyn Johns, whom many will immediately recognize as Bob Cratchit to Alastair Sim's Scrooge in the 1951 film, also gives a touching, heartbreaking performance as Tracy's exploited and totally broken business partner.The supporting cast here has quite a different flavor from those in the usual M-G-M film. Although Ian Hunter plays his usual sympathetic role, the other actors are all culled from the British theater, and give their roles an unusual depth missing from the typical Metro supporting cast. Tracy, though, occasionally seems miscast--one wonders what an actor with more bite, such as Orson Welles, might have brought to the role.In spite of this, the film is quite good, and Tracy's final monologue (he talks straight to the audience at times, a technique taken from the play) packs quite a punch.