It could have been worse, but it wasn't bad enough. Elderly manager Emma has been working with Smith’s widower for 32 years. In fact, without it, the whole house would have collapsed, and even adult children do not really understand what and in what sequence should be done correctly. But somehow Emma finally decides to go on vacation and go to Niagara. The owner of the family hardly understands how he is going to pass this time without her, and first decides to spend it to the station, and then spontaneously goes with her to rest. However, before the trip follows the same spontaneous offer of marriage for Emma, which is not very pleased with the children-majeure (how, Dad marries the servant?!), except for the younger pilot Ronald. He's just crazy about old Emma.
One of the early works of Clarence Brown, who shot a pure product of his era, full of cliches and naivety of the Great Depression period. But the problem with the film is its plot imbalance. In 72 minutes of screen time, Brown managed to stuff and comedies of absurdities (“flight” on the simulator of old Dressler, something similar to the same wild swims of the actress on the boat in the film “Min and Bill”), and snot melodrama about the selfless love of the nanny to his unsophisticated pupils, and a set of “tragic deaths”, and even pathosy court battles with hysterical fits of the same heroine Dressler in the address of his lawyer – “don’t dare not insult my children!” As a result, all the characters in the film turned out to be schematic and boringly predictable, including Marie Dressler, nominated for the Oscar nomination.
But the cast in the film is quite interesting. The picture itself was put under one Dressler, who was trying to repeat the success of a similar role of a two-year given in the already mentioned "Min and Bill", for which she was awarded an Oscar. This time only the nomination came out, but the problem is not in the performance of Dressler – the actress she was, indeed, strong and noticeable – but in the overall plot stiltness of the picture itself. As a result, it became one of the last memorable films with this colorful old woman, because in two years the actress will die.
In addition to Dressler in this film there is also Jean Hersholt (played by the father of the family), who in Hollywood is known more for his extra-acting activities - it is he who in 1939 organizes a social assistance fund for marginalized employees of the film industry. And in 1956 – the year of the actor’s death – the film academy will come up with the Gene Hersholt Humanitarian Award, which is equated with the “Oscar”. Well, today “Emma” is more identified by participation in the film of 27-year-old Myrna Loy, who played one of the mercenary daughters of the family. Mirna did not remember anything interesting here, and her role was not central. But the face flashed that fans of the work of the actress is already gratifying.
The verdict. Not the best production of Clarence Brown, who very clumsy managed to use the data of the colorful Marie Dressler. However, the actress still received her Oscar nomination, and the film in the American box office was popular. But years later, this production looks frankly tight.
6 out of 10