Ruth Leuwerik's star was already on the wane when this charmingly episodic saga, produced on the lavish side, gave her the chance for an honest and tender portrayal of the indomitable matriarch of a German household.Bright with human interest, congeniality and the quaint appeal of a bygone era, 'Eine Frau fürs ganze Leben' came close to duplicate the magic of her biggest hit 'Die Trapp Familie'. First rate support helped to create a nostalgic saga, photographed in the style of finely-etched ferrotypes. It was a triumph of the sweet and sentimental, a visual poem to the honest virtues of maternal life.Despite glowing critical plaudits, it failed to turn a profit because of the excessive negative cost.