Our whole family has always enjoyed this movie. Before coming to this site, however, I didn't know that it was based on a true story. My wife likes the movie (she likes almost anything with Lucille Ball in it) so I will probably get her a copy of the book as a gift. Even if the movie departs from the book significantly, I still believe that reading the true story would only enhance enjoyment of the movie. I would like to thank the IMDB people for creating the format that enables this type of information to be shared.
In my opinion, the movie is carried by a masterful rendition by the three main stars - Lucille Ball, Henry Fonda, and Van Johnson. Each of these is a personal favorite, so I may be prejudiced, but I can't imagine anyone else in these roles. And not only did the ages of Fonda and Ball not bother me, but it never occurred to me that there might have been a problem there. (Hollywood does a good job with makeup, and I failed to pull out my almanac while watching the movie to check on the stars' ages.) I have had friends with almost pure white hair become parents. An uncle started going very gray in his early thirties. So age and the appearance of age are very relative. Just enjoy this great movie.
In my opinion, the movie is carried by a masterful rendition by the three main stars - Lucille Ball, Henry Fonda, and Van Johnson. Each of these is a personal favorite, so I may be prejudiced, but I can't imagine anyone else in these roles. And not only did the ages of Fonda and Ball not bother me, but it never occurred to me that there might have been a problem there. (Hollywood does a good job with makeup, and I failed to pull out my almanac while watching the movie to check on the stars' ages.) I have had friends with almost pure white hair become parents. An uncle started going very gray in his early thirties. So age and the appearance of age are very relative. Just enjoy this great movie.