Although it sounds as if it should be a sunny period musical, The Gay Sisters is in fact a rather dark melodrama. One gets the impression that the makers of Gay intended it to be a grand family saga, something that Edna Ferber might have created by way of Zoe Akins. But the end result is something else, a fairly implausible exercise that tries for high emotion but too often comes off as forced. Chief blame rests with Lenore J. Coffee's screenplay, which is perhaps hobbled by the Stephen Longstreet book that is its source. Whichever of the two is responsible, Gay's script is filled with sound and fury, but none of it is very credible -- and the surely shoved-in-at-gunpoint happy ending is particularly odious. Irving Rapper's direction is technically fine but lacks any true spark. Gay is fortunate to have Sol Polito's very fine cinematography and Max Steiner's atmosphere-heavy score. It's even more fortunate to have Barbara Stanwyck as the lead sister. Stanwyck almost always gave her all to every part, no matter the quality of the writing, and this is no exception. Her skill, timing, perception and sheer charisma carry a great deal of the film. She receives no help at all from a poor George Brent, but Nancy Coleman and Geraldine Fitzgerald as her sisters are assets, and a young Gig Young scores some points here.