Make Way for a “Great Movie”

Hollywood craftsman Leo McCarey’s long unsung masterwork Make Way for Tomorrow will soon be garnering deserved attention—we’re releasing the Criterion special edition on DVD February 23. The first out of the gate to sing the film’s praises is Roger Ebert, who has just added it to his ongoing series Great Movies. In an expressive and beautifully personal piece on Make Way, Ebert looks closely at its painfully humane approach to character, observing and admiring McCarey’s subtle technique while also relating it to his own family experiences. It’s a fittingly emotional take on an immensely moving film. “The most powerful films often simply show you events without instructing you how to feel about them,” writes Ebert. “It is remarkable that a film this true and unrelenting was made by Hollywood in 1937.”