Margaret Sullavan made a stunning film debut in Only Yesterday, and fans of this extremely talented actress are well advised to hunt the picture down. Sullavan is not as fully formed here as she would become later in her career (which, while very noteworthy, encompasses a relatively small number of movies), but she's still a bewitching, beguiling presence and a treat to behold. No one could quite embody a very specific form of wistful sadness mixed with nobility in the manner that Sullavan could, and she puts that talent to good use here. As a matter of fact, she is given the opportunity to put almost all of her talents to use here, for the borderline soapy Only Yesterday provides a role that includes a wide range of acting challenges, and Sullavan meets them all. That she is this natural and appealing in such a large role, and in her first film at that, is quite impressive. Opposite her, John Boles is a bit of a stick, but he's not damaging. The screenplay has some expected holes in it, the biggest being that Boles doesn't remember Sullavan, which is a stretch; but it also has a good number of sure-fire can't-miss sequences. John M. Stahl's direction is very good, and his handling of the opening is absolutely first rate. Lovely supporting work from Billie Burke as well.