‘I Remember Mama’: A Mother’s Gift of Herself

(L–R) Uncle Chris Halvorsen (Oscar Homolka), Lars 'Papa' Hanson (Philip Dorn), Marta ‘Mama’ Hanson (Irene Dunne), and Dagmar Hanson (June Hedin), in “I Remember Mama.” RKO Radio Pictures

NR | 2h 14m | Drama | 1948

Winsome Irene Dunne was no stranger to playing a mother, sacrificing and resilient amid adversity. In “Penny Serenade” (1941) and “It Grows on Trees” (1952) she excels at playing a young mother. But it’s in “I Remember Mama” (1948), playing an aging mother and a Norwegian to boot, that she outdoes herself. Nominated for five Oscars, the film draws on DeWitt Bodeen’s screenplay, adapted from John Van Druten’s stage play, in turn inspired by Kathryn Forbes’s novel.

Irene Dunne does needlework in a scene from the 1948 film "I Remember Mama." RKO Radio Pictures/Getty Images

A virtuous early 20th century Norwegian family, living on Larkin Street, San Francisco, struggles to make ends meet: Marta “Mama” Hanson (Dunne), husband Lars “Papa” Hanson (Philip Dorn) and children Katrin (Barbara Bel Geddes), Nels (Steve Brown), Christine (Peggy McIntyre), and little Dagmar (June Hedin). Papa’s income is never enough, but Mama and the children don’t complain even when their erudite and seemingly well-off tenant Jonathan Hyde (Cedric Hardwicke) is unable to pay his rent. At least, he cherishes their “house of happiness” enough to impart moral values to them through his nightly readings from the works of great writers.

Katrin Hanson (Barbara Bel Geddes), in “I Remember Mama.” RKO Radio Pictures

Papa has nicknames for the children. Katrin, “the dramatic one,” dreams of being a writer, as Hyde’s sonorous voice conjures images of faraway lands and peoples. Nels, “the kind one,” fancies being a doctor. Christine is “the stubborn one.” And Dagmar, rarely away from her beloved pets, wants to be a veterinarian. They hear elders speak of Norway, “the old country,” but not one dreams of life away from the San Francisco they’ve grown to love.

Marta’s family visits often. She’s close to sisters Trina, Jenny, and Sigrid, but closest to Uncle Chris Halvorsen (Oscar Homolka). Socially conscious Jenny and Sigrid feel it’s inappropriate for Uncle Chris to marry a former housekeeper, so they stay aloof from “the woman” Jessie Brown (Barbara O’Neill), as many in the family refer to her. 

(L–R) Jessie Brown (Barbara O’Neil), Uncle Chris Halvorsen (Oscar Homolka), and "Mama" Hanson (Irene Dunne), in “I Remember Mama.” RKO Radio Pictures

As the family confronts suffering, loss, and death, Mama teaches her children that the joy they pour into and receive from relationships matters far more than money, status, or possessions.

Director George Stevens uses a gradual narrative pace and style, mimicking Mama’s meditative steps toward someone in need, or Katrin’s thoughtful turning of the pages she’s reading or writing. The magnetism of his characters makes up for the absence of a villain or other dramatic devices. Bel Geddes, as Katrin, narrates the story in flashback. Homolka shines; Uncle Halvorsen’s gentler side stuns even those who think they know him. Despite all that, it’s Dunne who commands your attention.

Dunne Delights

The unfailingly classy Dunne transformed so much for this role, she’s almost unrecognizable. Fifty years old during filming, she was still so youthful that make-up artists had to age her significantly. In worn-out clothes, padded to seem overweight, she looks every bit the matronly matriarch. A dialogue coach helped her acquire something of a Norwegian accent, and she stayed in character, accent intact, right through filming.

(L–R) Lars "Papa" Hanson (Philip Dorn), Dagmar Hanson (June Hedin), and Marta "Mama" Hanson (Irene Dunne), in “I Remember Mama.” RKO Radio Pictures

Dunne once wanted to be a soprano and had taken singing lessons early in her career. Unsurprisingly, here she isn’t dubbed when singing the traditional Norwegian lullaby, “Sovnen” (meaning, slumber or sleep) to a sickly Dagmar. In interviews, Dunne said of her character, Mama, “I thought she was a wonderful woman. It was probably the only time I played a real character part. It will always be very special to me.”

Sure, Mama is overbearing, but also so generous that even her ill-advised actions turn out for the best. Once, believing that Dagmar’s cat is injured beyond help and must be put down, she orders chloroform. Watch how Stevens uses that comical episode to show how even something otherwise lethal becomes salvific in Mama’s hands.

Mama doesn’t mind the children dreaming big, but they must resist avarice, sloth, and snobbishness. That shows in little things. Katrin can’t remember a time when Mama was unoccupied, “Her work was never done.” She’s so immersed in caring that she hasn’t time to talk about herself, wallow in self-pity, idly reminisce about “the old country,” or daydream about wealth. Of course, she says, “I would like to be rich. I would like to be 10 feet high. Is good for some things, bad for others.”

Mama’s a heroine to her children, standing up to bullies even if they’re her sisters, defending the bullied whether it’s Trina or “the woman,” and putting others first. Katrin poignantly recalls, Mama had always dreamed of buying a warm coat from her savings, as she says, “when there was enough. Only, there never was.” Still, in halting English, Mama would cheerfully welcome something that’s turned out well: “Is good, is good.”

Lobby card for "I Remember Mama."RKO Radio Pictures

You can watch “I Remember Mama” on Amazon Video, Vudu, and Apple TV.

‘I Remember Mama’ Director: George Stevens Starring: Irene Dunne, Barbara Bel Geddes Not Rated Running Time: 2 hours, 14 minutes Release Date: March 9, 1948 Rated: 3 stars out of 5

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