Kitty
Cats: Drama| 
There are reasons why people became movie stars and every one of them has at least one performance to prove it. Ginger Rogers proved it alright in 1940 with her performance as the title role in Kitty Foyle. This is also a her Oscar performance and ( I believe ) her first non musical role. Miss Rogers gives one of the most tragic and beautiful performances in film history.
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Philadelphia born Kitty is a tough, yet (of course) vulnerable woman from the “wrong side of the tracks” school of female characters. The beautiful Kitty meets and marries a socialite from the mainline ( although I am sure that the marriage part was different in the book). His family disapproves and he ultimately dumps our heroine. Kitty then meets a nice young doctor. On the eve of her marriage to the nice doctor the cad from the mainline comes back to Kitty saying he has dumped his wife and family and wants to go off with her. What is a girl to do? What is the right move for her? We are given the whole story in series of flashbacks leading right back to the beginning of the movie.
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I would rarely play this film in the store because I would get too misty every time. We couldn’t have that happen, a store full of men crying at poor Ginger Rogers’ problems. And although a tear is shed the film is not without it’s lighter moments. This is a great film suitable for kids over 12 (some of the material might need some explaining to younger viewers), especially if they have all ready have seen some of the Astaire / Rogers musicals of the 1930’s (and if they haven’t what are you waiting for) Nice to know that the gal can act.
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This gem will be on TCM. It is free. It will be shown on Friday February 8 at 6:00PM. So set your DVR’s, DVD burners or (what!) VCR’s.
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