ley ▁ ▁Mary ▁T reen ▁as ▁Alice ▁Be es ley ▁ ▁Queen ie ▁Smith ▁as ▁Mrs . ▁Be es ley ▁ ▁D ore en ▁McC ann ▁as ▁Barbara ▁Be es ley ▁ ▁Er sk ine ▁San ford ▁as ▁Mr . ▁H igg ler ▁ ▁un bil led ▁players ▁include ▁Ellen ▁Cor by , ▁Ralph ▁D unn , ▁Bla ke ▁Edwards , ▁Mil ton ▁K ib be e , ▁Tommy ▁No on an ▁and ▁Mor oni ▁O ls en ▁ ▁Political ▁context ▁Cal led ▁" the ▁most ▁express ively ▁optim istic ▁film ▁of ▁the ▁post war ▁Left " ▁and ▁" liter ally ▁working - class ▁cinema ", ▁the ▁screen play ▁was ▁adapted ▁from ▁the ▁ 1 9 3 6 ▁novel ▁" All ▁Br ides ▁are ▁Beautiful " ▁by ▁working - class ▁imm igr ant ▁novel ist ▁Thomas ▁Bell . ▁ ▁Director ▁Ber ry ▁and ▁screen writer ▁Hugo ▁Butler ▁would ▁both ▁be ▁caught ▁in ▁the ▁Hollywood ▁black list , ▁and ▁the ▁un cred ited ▁writer ▁Od ets ▁appeared ▁as ▁a ▁H U AC ▁friendly ▁witness . ▁ ▁Re ception ▁The ▁New ▁York ▁Times ▁rev iewer ▁called ▁the ▁film ▁" a ▁plot less ▁succession ▁of ▁episodes ," ▁and ▁said ▁" there ▁may ▁be ▁some ▁purpose ▁in ▁all ▁this ▁but ▁we ▁couldn ' t ▁quite ▁make ▁it ▁out — unless ▁it ▁is ▁simply ▁to ▁demonstrate ▁that ▁un emp loyment ▁is ▁a ▁very ▁bad ▁thing ." ▁The ▁critic ▁said ▁that ▁Font aine ' s ▁performance ▁as ▁a ▁Bron x ▁house w ife ▁was ▁un con vin cing .