A typical B-film from Paramount of interest today mostly for the debut performance of Frances Farmer in a sympathetic role as the niece of a military school commander. Farmer is surrounded by scores of child actors (including Billy Lee and Carl "Alfalfa" Switzer in a hilarious cameo) and interacts with them beautifully. In fact all of the children are amazingly natural and unforced in their performances. There are of course the requisite heartstring-tugging moments, and a needlessly melodramatic climax featuring a child going over a waterfall in a boat, but the film holds together surprisingly well for its age. Paramount was surprised by the rave reviews this programmer got, especially for Farmer, but they shouldn't have been. This is heads and shoulders above most of the B films which studios routinely churned out on a virtual weekly basis.
Review of Too Many Parents
