Customer Reviews

Not Wanted (1949) [VHS]

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Sally Forrest stars as Sally, a nineteen year old girl who gets involved with pianist Leo Penn, falls hard for him, even following him to another town to be with him. He's not interested, so she takes up with a boyish war veteran, played earnestly by Keefe Brasselle. When she discovers she is pregnant by Penn, her life is turned upside down again. The storyline is presented straightforwardly, something that surprised me given that the film was made in 1949. Actress Ida Lupino directed most of the film, although she is not credited, and in some ways, it matches the tough character she so often played on screen. The film presents the girl's plight with heart, but doesn't really get sentimental. It's starkly photographed, with elements of silent film incorporated, as long passages of time in the film are viewed without words and using montages instead. The actors are good, the story simple, and apart from an excessively melodramatic conclusion, it's a tight little film worth a look by today's audiences, especially those interested in the development of film. It's a chance to see a film from pretty much the only female director of her time, presenting a story from the point of view of a woman.