Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1924-08-27
Babbitt.

ACtNNFSN~~N
In Rabbit" the screen version of
the book of the same name, Geo. F.
Babbitt is the character around which
the action revolves. "Babbitt' was
photoized from Sinclair Lewis's novel
and Sinclair Lewis wrote Main
Street" which was filmed after an
astounding success as novel. "Main
Street. deals with life in small
town. "Babbitt" is the story of life
in one of the hundreds of small cities
in the country, on the way to being
metropOlises.
Mr.. Babbitt, hustling realtor, has
a wife, son and two daughters. He
is middle-aged and his wife likewise.
His children are about 20, 16 and
five
The Rabbit home is like thousands
of American homes. Life proceeds in
a steady humdrum, mother running
the ranch and catering to father and
the children. Banana fritters is the
piece de resistance at the Babbitt
breakfast and Rabbit himself is fat
and past forty.
Then one day a vampire comes
along. She rents quarters through Mr..
Babbitt and the charmed realtor gets
a cut in rent for her. Further charmed
he Lends" her 5000. AS he falls I'M
der the spell of the siren he grows
accordingly tired of his worried-look-
ing wife and noisy, quarrelsome chill
dren.
Mrs Rabbit, of course, gets wise.
She jumps George and is fatty told
he is tired of his home life and any
how, the girl in the case, is really
respectable. "She is good, he likes
her and his wife can like it or lump
it." Mrs. Babbitt takes the hint and
goes on a trip. Babbitt cultivates his
charmer and plots to skip out. The
night Of the elopement the son finds
what dad is up. to and pleads with
him to no avail. Mr.. Babbitt doesn't
give a damn for his position in the
town, his home life or his future. He
says he never had any fling yet and
is going to have one before he gets
too old.
Then Mrs Rabbit returns sick to
death as Babbitt and his affinity mo-
tor for the train. The son flies after
and tells his father "that mother is
calling for him." Babbitt hesitates and
is lost. The siren goes away with a
newly acquired lover picked up on
the train and Babbitt goes back to
his wife's bedside to ask her forgive
ness and beg her to get well.
In the last scene things are much
as in the first Babbitt is ordering up
banana fritters for breakfast and say
ing he must begin to diet" Life goes
on in humdrum manner and Babbitt,
his mind clear of his temporary emo
tionaI fling, is fat, hustling and happy.
Drawing morals is odious but con-
illusions may be made with propriety.
Our conclusion is that Rabbits exist
in legion. We conclude also that man
being polygamous and gregarious in
his nature is held to family ties only
by cultivation of restraint and an ev-
olution toward decency. Babbitt went
home because, after all, Mrs. Babbitt
was his wife while the other woman
was only light of love" and never
could take the place of his wife in
his heart. And because also, his chill
dren drew him back. Rabbits fling
was the same fling taken by many
other men with more or less disas
trous result. But at his hearthstone
surrounded by his family or at his
office busy, happy and useful the sane
Babbitt presents himself with that
clear eye and conscience possible on
ly to those who are pure in heart and
fear no man. The primrose path has
destruction on both sides and no man
can tread it in safety for long al
though many try it.
Rabbit" is a story of life. The
audience hangs tensely on the mo-
ment when the home seems certain of
disruption and signs with relief when
family life and old ties are vindicated.
The picture is one of the big six of
the year.
-OOO-