Room For One More (1952)

Room for One More is a heartfelt 1952 comedy-drama that blends warm domestic humor with sincere emotional depth. Directed by veteran filmmaker Norman Taurog, known for his deft touch in light-hearted family fare (Boys Town, The Adventures of Tom Sawyer), this film stars real-life husband and wife Cary Grant and Betsy Drake. While not one of Grant’s more flamboyant or iconic vehicles, it provides a gentle, deeply personal look at family life and social responsibility through the lens of post-war optimism.

Plot Summary

Based on a memoir by Anna Perrott Rose, Room for One More follows the story of Anna Rose (Betsy Drake), a compassionate and energetic mother of three, who decides to open her family home to foster children. Despite some reluctance from her good-natured but weary husband George (Cary Grant), Anna brings home Jane, a sullen, withdrawn teenage girl from a troubled background.

Initially cold and defensive, Jane slowly begins to adjust to the loving but no-nonsense Rose household. Later, the Roses take in another child, Jimmy-John, a physically disabled boy with behavioral issues who’s been passed around the system. His arrival brings fresh challenges but also offers moments of triumph and growth for everyone involved. The film follows the Roses as they expand their hearts and household, confronting the highs and lows of fostering with warmth, humor, and determination.

Performances

Cary Grant gives one of his more understated and naturalistic performances. Playing George Rose, Grant steps away from the suave romantic personas he’s often associated with, embodying instead a grounded and likable everyman. His chemistry with Betsy Drake is both charming and authentic, no doubt informed by their off-screen marriage at the time. He plays George with a balance of bemused skepticism and slowly dawning admiration for his wife’s unflagging idealism.

Betsy Drake, in contrast, is the emotional engine of the film. As Anna, she exudes warmth, intelligence, and conviction, crafting a character who is both idealistic and pragmatic. Her portrayal never falls into sentimentalism, which helps to elevate the film above other similar domestic dramas of the time. Drake’s performance is crucial to the film’s success, as her character’s optimism could have easily come across as naïve or overly virtuous in lesser hands.

The child actors are uniformly effective. Iris Mann (as Jane) and Clifford Tatum Jr. (as Jimmy-John) deserve special praise. Mann conveys Jane’s brittle shell and her gradual softening with subtlety, while Tatum’s Jimmy-John strikes a balance between vulnerability and defiance. George Winslow, the youngest Rose child, provides delightful comic relief with his deadpan delivery and unforgettable deep voice.

Direction and Style

Norman Taurog’s direction is unobtrusive but efficient. He allows the performances and script to carry the emotional weight of the story, focusing on character interaction rather than visual flourishes. The film maintains a modest, lived-in aesthetic that reflects the comfortable chaos of a mid-century suburban household.

The cinematography (by Robert Burks, a regular collaborator with Alfred Hitchcock) is warm and unpretentious, well-suited to the film’s intimate, homey tone. There's an almost documentary-like realism to the way the film depicts daily routines—mealtimes, homework sessions, family outings—making the Roses’ home feel believable and inviting.

Themes and Tone

At its core, Room for One More is a celebration of compassion and community. It explores the rewards and challenges of foster parenting without oversimplifying the experience. The film touches on difficult issues—trauma, neglect, disability, systemic indifference—yet it does so with a light touch and a belief in human potential. There’s a kind of early-1950s optimism here that, while idealistic, feels sincere rather than cloying.

The film is also notable for promoting social responsibility at a time when the American nuclear family was being idealized in more restrictive, traditional terms. The Roses’ example of opening their home to vulnerable children was a quietly radical act of inclusivity. In this sense, the film feels progressive for its era.

Humor is used effectively to balance the drama, with Cary Grant’s bemused asides and George Winslow’s hilariously blunt observations injecting levity into more serious scenes. This blend of warmth and wit is one of the film’s greatest strengths.

Reception and Legacy

Though not a major hit in Grant’s career, Room for One More was well-received by critics at the time of release for its wholesome charm and social message. It didn’t dominate the box office or awards season, but it remained a minor favorite among fans of Grant and family films. Its themes of foster care and inclusive parenting have kept it relevant in discussions of socially-conscious classic cinema.

In the broader scope of 1950s Hollywood, it stands out as a rare family film that manages to be both heartwarming and grounded, steering clear of the saccharine tendencies that often mar films of this type.

Conclusion

Room for One More is a quiet gem of 1950s cinema. It succeeds through its combination of sincere performances, especially from real-life couple Cary Grant and Betsy Drake, and its thoughtful, gently humorous look at the challenges of foster parenting. While lacking the glamour or dramatic flair of some of Grant’s better-known films, it offers something more intimate: a portrait of generosity, resilience, and the transformative power of love within a family.

It’s a film that doesn’t shout its message but lets it emerge gradually through honest human interaction. For those interested in a more reflective side of Cary Grant or in classic films that tackle meaningful social issues with grace, Room for One More is well worth discovering.

Subtle, moving, and wonderfully acted — a classic with heart.