Bill Wainwright, a journalist assigned to cover the news in France, experiences love when he meets a beautiful singer, Lisa Garret. Their happiness is short lived because of the situation in Europe at the start of WWII. Life changes for Bill and Lisa, as the Germans invade France. Lisa, who has delivered a baby boy, stays in Paris, while Bill is sent to cover the war in Lille. Bill is unable to go back to Paris and is posted to London. As hard as he tries, he cannot get back to Lisa and John, the son he only saw for a moment. Bill and Lisa were separated by the situation in France, complicated by the disappearance of his wife and child. After the war ended neither can be located.
Now, living in America, a few years after the war was over, Bill returns to France to search for his son. With the help of his loyal friend, Pierre Verdier, they receive news of the possibility of John living in an orphanage. Bill goes to investigate. At the orphanage he is received by the mother superior, a lady that has seen a lot of suffering in her life. She is reluctant to raise false hopes for Bill; she is afraid of damaging the young boy that was rescued and sent her way, whom she calls Jean.
Bill does not see any physical resemblance in the shy boy he meets. It is suggested he takes the boy out of the orphanage to make his acquaintance to see if he will remember anything of his past life. The young boy develops an easy relationship with Bill, who realizes the boy is trying to be adopted by eliciting this strange man's goodwill. A surprise comes at the conclusion of the story that neither Bill, or Jean expected.
Not having seen this film, we were pleasantly surprised when it was shown on a classic cable channel. Co-written and directed by George Seaton, "Little Boy Lost" seems to have been forgotten, as it hardly ever shows. It is to Mr. Seaton's credit the material did not turn into a sentimental account of a desperate father in search for his lost son. The film was shot in Paris in black and white. It has that look so prevalent in films from that era; the magnificent settings of the city and the small town where the orphanage is supposed to be, do not overwhelm us.
Bing Crosby made one of his best appearances on film as Bill Wainwright. Mr. Crosby was an actor that brought a pleasant aura to all the films in which he appeared. That seems to be the case with his take on the father that has been separated by a war and must face the heartbreak of never finding the child he never knew. Claude Dauphin is the friend that sticks to Bill encouraging to keep looking for the boy. Gabrielle Dorziat is the Mother Superior. Nicole Mauray plays Lisa and Christian Fourcade, the little boy.
Now, living in America, a few years after the war was over, Bill returns to France to search for his son. With the help of his loyal friend, Pierre Verdier, they receive news of the possibility of John living in an orphanage. Bill goes to investigate. At the orphanage he is received by the mother superior, a lady that has seen a lot of suffering in her life. She is reluctant to raise false hopes for Bill; she is afraid of damaging the young boy that was rescued and sent her way, whom she calls Jean.
Bill does not see any physical resemblance in the shy boy he meets. It is suggested he takes the boy out of the orphanage to make his acquaintance to see if he will remember anything of his past life. The young boy develops an easy relationship with Bill, who realizes the boy is trying to be adopted by eliciting this strange man's goodwill. A surprise comes at the conclusion of the story that neither Bill, or Jean expected.
Not having seen this film, we were pleasantly surprised when it was shown on a classic cable channel. Co-written and directed by George Seaton, "Little Boy Lost" seems to have been forgotten, as it hardly ever shows. It is to Mr. Seaton's credit the material did not turn into a sentimental account of a desperate father in search for his lost son. The film was shot in Paris in black and white. It has that look so prevalent in films from that era; the magnificent settings of the city and the small town where the orphanage is supposed to be, do not overwhelm us.
Bing Crosby made one of his best appearances on film as Bill Wainwright. Mr. Crosby was an actor that brought a pleasant aura to all the films in which he appeared. That seems to be the case with his take on the father that has been separated by a war and must face the heartbreak of never finding the child he never knew. Claude Dauphin is the friend that sticks to Bill encouraging to keep looking for the boy. Gabrielle Dorziat is the Mother Superior. Nicole Mauray plays Lisa and Christian Fourcade, the little boy.
