White Banners Reviews

Rains is a kindly, mild-mannered chemistry professor who, with the assistance of student Cooper, invents an iceless icebox. The homeless Bainter, seeking shelter, is taken in by Rains as cook and housekeeper. With her sagacious advice and happy homilies, she helps Cooper and Rains to overcome the crushing disappointment of the theft of their invention. The two return to the workshop, where they perfect and patent an even better fridge. Bainter then makes her departure, never revealing that she is, in truth, young Cooper's mother. A truly frost-free story by inspirational author Douglas which first appeared in William Randolph Hearst's Cosmopolitan magazine and was promoted by the magnate for film adaptation by his similarly named Cosmopolitan Productions. Bainter was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Actress for her performance. Ironically, she lost to Bette Davis for JEZEBEL, but Bainter won the Best Supporting Actress award for her performance in that film.