One Too Many

2419. ONE TOO MANY (1950-USA). With RUTH WARRICK, RICHARD TRAVIS, WILLIAM TRACY, LYLE TALBOT. Bob Mason is a newspaper reporter and family man who ideally should have a wonderful life. He enjoys his job. He has a loving mate and sweet little daughter. Only trouble is, wife Helen (Ruth Warrick, in a bravura performance) is an alcoholic. Once a promising concert pianist, she had forsaken her career for marriage and motherhood. Now, Helen drinks herself to sleep at night. In the morning, her beverage of choice is whiskey rather than tea or coffee. Bob implores her to go on the wagon, but she bristles at the thought that she has any sort of problem. “That’s the most insulting thing I’ve ever heard in my life,” she fumes. Perhaps her attitude will change when little Ginger Mason arrives home from dancing class in tears. It seems that the other children have been chiding her because her mother always is drunk! Unfortunately, Helen is afflicted with a disease that cannol be cured by the tears of a beloved child. The scenario of this compelling and harrowing drama goes on to chart her long and often painful road to sobriety. Along the way, there is some thoughtful editorializing regarding a community’s civic responsibility to care for and deal with its problem drinkers, as well as the meaningful role that Alcoholics Anonymous can play in this process. 110 minutes. Drama