To Each His Own covers more than twenty years in the life of Josephine "Jody" Norris (Olivia DeHavilland), a successful American-born businesswoman now working in London as an air raid warden. Jody thinks back to an earlier time in her life when she had fallen in love with a handsome WWI fighter pilot named Bart Cosgrove (John Lund, in his motion picture debut). Shortly after she becomes pregnant by Cosgrove, Jody learns he has been killed in action. To avoid public scandal, she concocts a scheme to keep her child, but it backfires. Her son, who becomes a fighter pilot like his late father, doesn't know who his real mother is. But Jody's confidante, Lord Desham (Roland Culver, in a wonderfully understated performance), does, and he believes it's his duty to right the situation. A superior soap opera, the film is deftly directed by Mitchell Leisen and features restrained, impressive performances by the entire cast. For her efforts as Jody, deHavilland won the 1946 Oscar for Best Actress. Victor Young's music is never overbearing, and Charles Brackett and Jacques Thery's screenplay is wise and intelligently written.

After having only seen Olivia de Havilland in 2 films (Gone With the Wind and In This Our Life) I could tell she was a very natural actress, gifted at convincing you she is who she plays onscreen. I became interested in her and purchased To Each His Own on a recent holiday to America. I didn't know what to expect except I knew she won the 1946 Academy Award for Best Actress for her performance of Jody Norris in this wonderful film. Olivia puts a lot of actresses to shame with her understated, technical and extremely moving portrayal of a small-town girl forced to give up the son she bore out-of-wedlock to the county's richest family. Jody sells the family business once her father dies and goes to New York to roll in the high life and become a successful business woman. 20 years later she sees her son once again, and he learns the truth. A masterful performance by Olivia de Havilland and fine supporting performances, particularly by Mary Anderson as Jody's son's adopted mother and Robert Culver as Jody's friend Lord Deshem. A fine film that will have you in giggles and tears. Give it a chance, you won't be disappointed.

Olivia De Havilland's first Oscar came for "To Each His Own."

After a one night stand with a pilot, De Havilland, a small town girl with intelligence and moral fortitude, finds herself in trouble.

Giving the child up is the most heart rendering thing imaginable to view.

Years later as the world enters World War 11, in a chance meeting, De Havilland meets the child, now a grown man and in the army as well.

Through the years, when they did meet, he could never imagine why she would cling to him.

With his wedding approaching, De Havilland attends it in London, where she now resides. When the son realizes who she is, he brought many a tear to the eye when he says, "May I have this dance, mother?"

Well done tear-jerker. A bold step in tackling the concept of illegitimacy; although, we saw this concept as early as 1932 in "The Sin of Madelon Claudet." Heroine Helen Hayes got an Oscar for that one as well. What does that tell you about Hollywood and socially controversial topics?