MovieChat Forums > My Foolish Heart (1950) Discussion > Ramona

Ramona

posted 13 years ago by lottapaws
4 replies | jump to latest

Just saw this movie again, and wanted to see if my "assumption" was the same as others'. Hayward was pregnant by Walt, and that is why she wanted to quickly marry Lew. I'm assuming Ramona was Walt's child, and that is a large part of Hayward's hot/cold attitude toward Ramona. Yet, in the end, she keeps her daughter as she truly loves her very much. Is this what others take away from the movie regarding Ramona?

Susan Hayward stands among the best of the best! Talented, smart, determined and absolutely gorgeous! There wasn't a role she couldn't play, she had incredible talent. As others have posted, no one today is even in her league. Marvelous talent.

[–] VikyO 13 years ago

I would add that Eloise wanted to marry Lew also to fill the deep emotional void she felt after Walt died - she was on a major rebound, and Lew had always had a "thing" for her, even though he was dating Mary Lou.

The hot/cold attitude she had toward Ramona I think was also a part of her alcoholism haze - addict behavior to shut everyone out of their lives except their drug of choice.

But the flashback she had about Walt and his death brought her back to "sobriety" so to speak, and her heart softened toward Lew, Mary Lou and Ramona. She realized how selfish she had been, too.

What a tear-jerker! I loved Susan in this. Her acting is subtle, but brilliant.

Remember, its not a rumor, its a video

[–] freebird1987 9 years ago

Eloise said that Ramona looked like Lew, so I don't think Ramona is Walt's child.

[–] whitcombjl 9 years ago

The script doesn't come right out and say it, because this is 1949. But it is implicit that Eloise conceived a child with Walt and knows she's pregnant when she says goodbye to him. Within a short time she learns Walt is dead, then she goes out on a date with Lew and accepts his embrace, her head turned away in anguish. The implication is that she subsequently has intercourse with Lew, then marries him with the idea of passing off Ramona as Lew's child.

[–] BunnyCake 9 years ago

Ramona is Walt's child. Eloise is pregnant when she snares Lew.

Eloise has a conversation with Mary Jane after Walt's death where Eloise confesses her delicate situation. On an impulse and panicked, Eloise asks Lew to go for a drive where she plans to entrap him. She starts to change her mind and says "I don't know what I was thinking, let's just forget it" and Lew replies "We can never forget it" and passionately kisses Eloise. After they are married Mary Jane is bitter toward Eloise because Lew was Mary Jane's boyfriend and she knows he was tricked.

Eloise is cold toward Ramona only because she reminds her of Walt. In one scene, Eloise says to Mary Jane how much Ramona looks like Lew, and Mary Jane says, "But how could she look like Lew?"

In the end, Eloise realizes Ramona belongs with her, and Lew with Mary Jane.