Cinema History: Made for Each Other

*I do not own any images in this post, all credits are linked below*

You just get back home from an assignment in Boston. While there, you met the love of your life, and the two of you got married. It was hasty you admit, but you know this person is the only one for you. The people around you unfortunately don't see it the way you do. The two of you go on with life through many struggles and successes, highs and lows. You end up having a baby, a son, and he is the love of your life. The only problem is that you can’t make enough money to support your spouse, your child, and your mother. After a night at your high school reunion, you realise how successful all your classmates have been in the past 10 years, and how unsuccessful you feel. You and your spouse talk about you quitting your job, or demanding a raise from your boss. You go into his office the next morning, determined not to back down, but to persuade him to up your salary. As soon as you get into the office, however, your boss tells you some bad news: he’s going to have to cut your pay as the firm doesn’t have enough to continue paying what you’ve been making. Completely downcast and surprised by this information, you leave that day feeling as if your life is all in a whirlwind. Fast forward a few weeks, and it’s New Year’s Eve. Your coworker has invited you and your spouse to a party, but he never comes to pick you two up. Determined not to have a lousy New Year’s, the two of you leave your sniffling baby and sneezing mother at home. At midnight, all the couples around you immediately stop dancing and begin embracing or kissing their loved ones. But you and your spouse don’t feel the connection, the magic seems to have disappeared. Just as your spouse begins to leave you, you receive word that your baby has been taken to the hospital with pneumonia. Horror-struck, the two of you race over to plead with the doctor as to what can be done. He says the pneumonia has developed so rapidly that your child only has a few hours to live if they cannot administer a shot. But the solution has run out in your state, and can only be found halfway across the country. Desperately, you plead with the hospital that has one last dose to fly it out to you, but they feel they can’t risk it as the weather is slowly turning into a blizzard. How far can you fight? How much more can you give? Do you take a stand for the sake of your child and possibly risk someone else’s life, or do you cave and lose all hope?

https://flxt.tmsimg.com/assets/p498_p_v10_ab.jpg

Made for Each Other is a 1939 film directed by John Cromwell. James Stewart plays the role of John Mason, a young and prospective lawyer who hastily marries his instant sweetheart, Jane (Carole Lombard). The hard-of-hearing, stern Judge Doolittle is played by Charles Coburn. John and his new wife Jane go through the motions of losing money, demotion, and grief. This causes them to think back at their decision to get married so soon, and they doubt that they made the correct choice. However, through it all, they only realise that they truly were made for each other. This movie gives the audience a glance into married life and the struggles and joys it brings. Juggling a job, caring for yourself and three others, and daily wear and tear is no foreign concept for the story. But the highlight or moral is that if two people really love one another, they will make it through the storms of life together.

Carole Lombard is no amateur actress in Made for Each Other and plays her part well. Jane is put through the wringer in her marriage. John’s mother can’t stand her, and constantly nags at her, telling her she isn’t doing things properly, and perpetually one-upping her. John often comes home in a state of depression, so she must remain calm and supportive of him. Being a new mother is no easy task either. Jane struggles often with raising her baby right, still with the leering comments from her mother-in-law. On top of all that, she keeps her head whilst the family goes through multiple maids per month until finally, they can’t afford one.

One of Stewart’s earliest films, Made for Each Other displays his natural acting ability greatly. He paints a picture for the audience of a young man trudging through life and the burdens it brings. James Stewart is known for his compelling, emotional roles, which can be seen well in this film. The naivety of parenting, the fear of losing a child, the disappointment of making so little that he can barely support his family, all of these piled on top of each other weigh him down to the point of depression. But he still fights, he doesn’t completely give up hope, and he knows when to cry, to ask for help, and to beg for forgiveness.

Made for Each Other is a classic romance. It shows that even though all the bad that two people can experience, love keeps them together. Even through momentary regret, love overcomes all negativity. John Cromwell lays it all out for his audience and provides hope for young couples. Couples were made for each other, and love conquers all.

It’s probably fairly noticeable that I am personally a HUGE fan of James Stewart, so naturally, I will have more favour for his films, but Made for Each Other is truly a poignant romance. If you have seen this film, leave a comment below and tell me what you thought of it. If you have not seen it yet, seriously, go check it out. Who can resist a young James Stewart film?

Image Credits:

Poster: https://flxt.tmsimg.com/assets/p498_p_v10_ab.jpg

Mr. Stewart: https://media.gq-magazine.co.uk/photos/5df8ecb2e2d50100085d4745/master/w_1600%2Cc_limit/20191217-James-Stewart-07.jpg

Ms. Lombard: https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/highly_photogenic_lombard.jpg

Mr. Coburn: https://onceuponascreen.files.wordpress.com/2019/06/charles-coburn.jpg?w=798