A Majority Of One

Live and learn, the saying goes. Japanese businessman and widower Koichi Asano (Alec Guinness) and Brooklyn widow Bertha Jacoby (Rosalind Russell) are at an age when they've done a lot of living and learning. Now, with a bit of luck, love may reenter their lives -- if they learn again the lessons of tolerance, forgiveness, kindness and devotion. Russell and Guinness play unlikely romantics in this touching comedy based on the Broadway hit and directed by Mervyn LeRoy. Russell thought the role of Bertha was a radical departure for her. But she seized the challenge -- and won the fourth of her five Best Actress Golden Globe Awards. "In so many films, my comedy was brittle and came from the lips," Russell said. "Here the humor stems from the heart -- and Mrs. Jacoby's heart is as big as the world.