AllMovie

Veteran character actors Mary Boland and Ernest Truex are aces as the stars of Republic's Mama Runs Wild. "Mama" is social-climbing Alice Summers (Boland), the wife of milquetoast Calvin Summers (Truex). When Alice accidentally causes the arrest of a bank robber, she becomes a local heroine and mayoral candidate. But when she begins to lobby for the closing of a local tavern, the opposition party picks its own candidate -- Calvin. The ending is at once satisfying in the true "worm turns" tradition, and heartwarming in that it demonstrates the deep abiding love the Summerses have for one another. Though clearly inspired by Paramount's popular Mary Boland-Charlie Ruggles vehicles, Mama Runs Wild delivers enough chuckles to stand on its own merits. The film was directed by Ralph Staub, the guiding force behind Columbia's "Screen Snapshots" series.