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Primrose Path

Primrose Path

  • Status: Released
  • 22-03-1940
  • Runtime: 93 min
  • Score: 6.6
  • Vote count: 24

Ellie Mae lives on Primrose Hill with her good-hearted and fancy free mother, her drunken father, her younger sister and a mean-spirited grandmother. The Hill is not a good part of town, however. When she meets and falls for a hard-working man, they marry and she hides her past from him. When he discovers the truth it jeopardizes their marriage.

Ginger Rogers

Ellie May Adams

Joel McCrea

Ed Wallace

Marjorie Rambeau

Mamie Adams

Henry Travers

Gramp

Miles Mander

Homer

Queenie Vassar

Grandma

Joan Carroll

Honeybell

Vivienne Osborne

Thelma

Carmen Morales

Carmelita

Bobby Barber

Benny (uncredited)

Louise Beavers

Woman Talking to Police (uncredited)

Edgar Dearing

Motorcycle Policeman (uncredited)

Jack Gargan

Al (uncredited)

Robert Emmett Keane

Gossip in Diner (uncredited)

Charles Lane

Mr. Smith (uncredited)

Matt McHugh

Drunk Leaving Bluebell (uncredited)

Ernie Adams

Man in Bluebell (uncredited)

Mara Alexander

Girl in Bluebell (uncredited)

Ray Cooke

Man Clueing in Ed (uncredited)

Herbert Corthell

Herb (uncredited)

Jacqueline Dalya

Dalya (uncredited)

Jack Gardner

Jake's Friend in Diner

Lawrence Gleason Jr.

Boy (uncredited)

Charlie Hall

Man in Diner (uncredited)

Grace Hayle

Drunk's Wife Leaving Bluebell (uncredited)

Donald Kerr

Sailor in Bluebell (uncredited)

Larry McGrath

Jake Halpern (uncredited)

Frank Mills

Taxi Driver (uncredited)

Gene Morgan

Gene (uncredited)

Nestor Paiva

Bluebell Manager (uncredited)

Bob Perry

Bluebell Bartender (uncredited)

Lorin Raker

Man in Diner (uncredited)

Charles Williams

(uncredited)

CinemaSerf

There's some pretty good acting here. Ginger Rogers is "Ellie May" who lives in a ramshackle house with her mum, dipso father and her sister. When she meets a local blue collar gent "Ed" (Joel McCrae) they are soon smitten - the only snag is, she had omitted telling him some fairly important details from her past and when he finds out, their relationship becomes strained and compromised. The story, in itself, is really pretty straightforward - it's the performances that help it stand out a bit. Marjorie Rambeau is super as the mother, as is Miles Mander as the well meaning father and Henry Travers could never really put a foot wrong with his grand-paternal style of comforting performance. Rogers and MaCrae do their jobs, too - though nothing too spectacular as the dialogue they share is quite limiting. Still, it's a good enough tale of the benefits of telling the truth that still holds together well.