Life Begins (1932)

This film provides a window into life of 1932 as viewed from a higher-risk maternity ward. These were the days when surgery was much more dangerous, where ether ruled and the risk of infection was high (penicillin wasn't in widespread use for another 10 years). The expectant mothers in the ward come from all walks of the working-class life: a woman about to deliver her fifth child, an Italian, a proud "modern woman" (single), a nightclub singer and a convicted murderer. A film worth watching.