The Happy Time Reviews

This fine film version of a stage hit captures the world opening before the eyes of an innocent, beguiling 12-year-old boy, Bibi (Bobby Driscoll), who lives in Ottawa with his warm, fun-loving, largely French-Canadian family. His father, Jacques (Charles Boyer), is a kindly man who sees him through his first romantic crisis. His Scottish-born mother (Marsha Hunt) provides balance for a family that is more carefree than responsible, more capricious than pragmatic. The dialog is charming and witty, and the entire cast--particularly Boyer--play their roles with aplomb. This was Boyer's last starring role, and it remained one of his favorite films. Driscoll, who was one of the most versatile child actors in Hollywood, having appeared in such fine films as THE SULLIVANS (1944) and THE WINDOW (1949), is terrific as the young boy suddenly jolted by emotions he never knew existed. He would die tragically of a heart attack from a drug overdose at age 30. Richard Fleischer directs with elan and provides a zippy pace.