The First Time

Former cartoonist and gag man Frank Tashlin made his directorial debut with 1952's The First Time. The story concerns Joe and Betsey Bennet (Robert Cummings, Barbara Hale) a young married couple anxiously awaiting the arrival of their first child. Once the bundle of joy has arrived, Joe and Betsey experience the flip side of parenthood--the mounting bills, the incessant demands made on their time, and the ceaseless strain on their nerves. The story material is on the thinnish side, but Tashlin keeps things hopping with a few well-placed sight gags, while Bob Cummings and Barbara Hale work very well together. The First Time is pleasant enough, though it would take a few more pictures before Frank Tashlin would let loose with the zany slapstick and on-target social satire which made him the darling of French film critics.