An 1890s widow has two daughters and two sons. The daughters fall in love with the same gentleman.An 1890s widow has two daughters and two sons. The daughters fall in love with the same gentleman.An 1890s widow has two daughters and two sons. The daughters fall in love with the same gentleman.
- Awards
- 1 nomination
Marie L. Day
- Old woman in Popham's store
- (uncredited)
Lew Kelly
- Paperhanger
- (uncredited)
Storyline
Did you know
- TriviaOriginally, RKO slated Katharine Hepburn to star in this picture. She had just been declared a "box office deterrent" by the Independent Theater Owners Association. She refused the role and consequently bought out her contract from RKO.
- GoofsAs Mr. Popham is hanging a picture, a studio light is reflected in the glass over the painting.
- Crazy creditsThe opening credits are shown as like framed embroidered samplers.
- ConnectionsReferenced in The John Garfield Story (2003)
- SoundtracksSailing, Sailing (Over the Bounding Main)
(1880) (uncredited)
Written by Godfrey Marks
Sung a cappella by the Carey family on the way to their picnic
Featured review
Stormy Petrels Look For A Roost
Widowed Fay Bainter and her two sons and two daughters move into a house and turn it into a boarding house. When the house is sold from under them, what will they do?
Katherine Hepburn was originally considered for a role in this movie, which looks like a follow-up to Little Women. She turned down the role and bought out her contract. As the movie exists, with direction by Rowland Lee, it was a wise decision. Although filled with good incidents and some fine supporting players -- Walter Brennan, Margaret Hamilton, Alma Kruger, Ralph Morgan -- there is no clear sense of more to it than that. In tone it seems caught between a situation comedy and nostalgia for the simpler days of the Mauve Decade, with a strong taste of the necessity of having enough money to get by on. Daughters Anne Shirley and Ruby Keeler are cute enough, and sons Jackie Moran and Donnie Dunagan charming enough. However, while good enough on its own terms, it's little more than that.
Katherine Hepburn was originally considered for a role in this movie, which looks like a follow-up to Little Women. She turned down the role and bought out her contract. As the movie exists, with direction by Rowland Lee, it was a wise decision. Although filled with good incidents and some fine supporting players -- Walter Brennan, Margaret Hamilton, Alma Kruger, Ralph Morgan -- there is no clear sense of more to it than that. In tone it seems caught between a situation comedy and nostalgia for the simpler days of the Mauve Decade, with a strong taste of the necessity of having enough money to get by on. Daughters Anne Shirley and Ruby Keeler are cute enough, and sons Jackie Moran and Donnie Dunagan charming enough. However, while good enough on its own terms, it's little more than that.
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Details
Box office
- Budget
- $358,000 (estimated)
- Runtime1 hour 22 minutes
- Color
- Aspect ratio
- 1.37 : 1
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![Fay Bainter, James Ellison, Ruby Keeler, and Anne Shirley in Mother Carey's Chickens (1938)](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/M/MV5BY2U4N2VmZjAtN2JkNi00MmQxLWEyMWItNmQ2NDUxOWQ4OTgwXkEyXkFqcGdeQXVyMTIxOTk5MzY@._V1_QL75_UX90_CR0,0,90,133_.jpg)
Top Gap
By what name was Mother Carey's Chickens (1938) officially released in India in English?
Answer