The Bachelor and the Bobby-Soxer (1947)

A high school girl falls for a playboy artist, with screwball results.

Director:

Irving Reis

Writer:

Sidney Sheldon (original story and screen play)

Stars:

Cary Grant, Myrna Loy, Shirley Temple

Won 1 Oscar.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Cary Grant	...	Dick Nugent
Myrna Loy	...	Judge Margaret Turner
Shirley Temple	...	Susan Turner
Rudy Vallee	...	District Attorney Tommy Chamberlain
Ray Collins	...	Dr. Matthew Beemish
Harry Davenport	...	Judge Thaddeus Turner
Johnny Sands	...	Jerry White
Don Beddoe	...	Joey
Lillian Randolph	...	Bessie
Veda Ann Borg	...	Agnes Prescott
Dan Tobin	...	Chester Walters
Ransom M. Sherman	...	Judge Treadwell (as Ransom Sherman)
William Bakewell	...	Winters
Irving Bacon	...	Melvin - Police Turnkey
Ian Bernard	...	Perry

Storyline

Teenaged Susan Turner, with a severe crush on playboy artist Richard Nugent, sneaks into his apartment to model for him and is found there by her sister Judge Margaret Turner. Threatened with jail, Nugent agrees to date Susan until the crush abates. He counters Susan's comic false sophistication by even more comic put-on teenage mannerisms, with a slapstick climax.

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Plot Keywords:

sister sister relationship | screwball comedy | slapstick comedy | witness | high society | 

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Taglines:

Rollicking Romantics!

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Genres:

Comedy | Romance

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Certificate:

Approved

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English French

Release Date:

1 September 1947 (USA)

Also Known As:

Suddenly It's Spring

Filming Locations:

RKO Studios - 780 N. Gower Street, Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

RKO Radio Pictures, Vanguard Films

Technical Specs

Runtime:

95 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (RCA Sound System)

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The airport seen at the end, "Daugherty Field," is today Long Beach Airport, the city-owned public airport. It was originally named Daugherty Field for Earl Daugherty, who leased the land and later started the world's first flying school. The city utilized the site to create the first municipal airport.

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Goofs

Reflection of boom mic visible in black car when it pulls up to the airport.

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Quotes

Matt Beemish: Mr. Nugent, what you have is a severe case of being an innocent bystander.

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Alternate Versions

Also available in a computer colorized version.

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Connections

Referenced in Jeopardy!: Episode #22.20 (2005)

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Soundtracks

My Shining Hour
(uncredited)
Lyrics by Johnny Mercer
Music by Harold Arlen

User Reviews

Delightful

An all star cast leads the best original screenplay of 1947. Cary Grant is my favourite actor, and Myrna Loy, best remembered for her trademark housewife equal in "The Thin Man" are two of Hollywood's brightest comics together in a pretty funny film. Throw in teenaged seventeen year old Shirley Temple falling for a shining knight in armour/playboy/artist Cary and her Judge sister, and a fun packed comedy results. Somehow, Cary playing another play boy who the women keep falling for cannot convince me of the stretch.

There are great scenes, notably at the races. This only further proves that Cary may very well be the funniest straight actor to appear on the screen. The supporting cast itself is a great one, and the leads are fantastic.

This film has been well directed, but not enough to meddle in the great performances. Screenplay manages to simply enough combine humour and creativity. A light hearted romp and good entertainment.

It's a little lesser known as many of these actors other films always overshadow it, but it is still a good example of 1940s film making, with top talent at its best.

Rating: 8.25/10