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The Bachelor and the Bobby-Soxer (1947)
Directed by Irving Reis
Screenplay by Sidney Sheldon
Starring: Cary Grant, Myrna Loy, Shirley Temple, Rudy Vallee
A teen-aged girl (Temple) falls in love with a visiting artist (Grant) giving a lecture at her school. A series of misunderstandings forces the artist to tolerate the young girl’s infatuation.
This is screwball comedy written by Sidney Sheldon (Annie Get Your Gun) and directed by Irving Reis (Enchantment). Cary Grant (North by Northwest) stars in the film alongside Myrna Loy (The Best Years of Our Lives), Shirley Temple (The Little Princess), and Rudy Vallee (The Palm Beach Story).
This story is a classic screwball comedy with a really interesting premise. Sidney Sheldon managed to create a story about a young woman infatuated with a grown man who doesn’t have any inappropriately uncomfortable moments. The story stays innocent and creates an increasingly frustrating series of events for the central characters. This is a fun movie with a conclusion that is obvious early on. Despite being predictable, this is just really fun. The writing places the characters in situations designed for great comedy. The payoffs throughout the movie are very satisfying. As with many comedies, this one is made for having fun. It’s not always realistic, nor would you want it to be. It’s a classic screwball comedy that fits in with many similar films that Cary Grant starred in throughout his career. Sidney Sheldon would take home the Oscar for Best Original Screenplay for this one.
This cast does a great job with a really funny script. Cary Grant does a great job bringing out the frustration of his character while keeping things very funny. He also has a really good connection with all of the other actors. While Grant plays a character who takes few things seriously, Myrna Loy does just the opposite. She spends much of the movie playing the only responsible person in the room. Her role isn’t entirely serious though. She also does a nice job with the comedy. Shirley Temple adds a good performance of her own to the film. Throughout the movie she really manages to bring out the frustrated teenager aspects of her role. She also manages to create some great chemistry with both Loy and Grant. In her scenes with Grant, Temple does a great job creating the more awkward aspects of the comedy. Rudy Vallee also adds one of the many other performances that make this one work. Overall, the cast does a great job bringing the Oscar-winning script to life.
The Bachelor and the Bobby-Soxer is competently made from all aspects of the production. The camera work and sound both do a good job throughout the film. The score by Leigh Harline (Pinocchio) also adds a nice touch to the movie. The film also does a good job using the locations and sets to create a believable version of the world.
Cary Grant did some of his best work in the screwball comedies of the 1940s. The Philadelphia Story and Arsenic and Old Lace are just a couple of the films he made in the genre. If you’re a fan of those films, this is one you should see. I would also suggest this anyone looking to see a different kind of comedy than is found in most films today. While this might be a predictable story, there are a lot of little surprises on the way. I give this one 3.9 out of 5 stars.
Did You See That One? 