roddekker For me, "The Bachelor And The Bobby-Soxer" would have been a far more fun and entertaining movie to watch had its storyline focused in on giving the viewer a closer look at the teen angle in all of the "screwball" shenanigans.I found that when the action was taking place at Sunset High, amongst all the teens, that's when my interest in this truly convoluted romance (pitting 2 sisters against each other) began to pick up significantly.If you ask me, I'd say that the action-packed basketball game that took place between Sunset High and their fierce rivals was the absolute highlight of this film.Anyway - After watching this vintage picture, I certainly wish that Hollywood had actually made more teen-oriented films from that era. 'Cause, believe me - The dramas that transpired between that age group definitely showed about 10x more entertainment potential than did the dry, stale and predictable nonsense that went on between all of the bickering adults.

SimonJack "The Bachelor and the Bobby-Soxer" is a madcap comedy that earned playwright Sidney Sheldon an Oscar for best original screenplay in 1947. The plot isn't special, but it's quite quirky. And it fits nicely as the frame to enclose a lot of comedy. The screenplay – the script, is what drives this film. "Bobby-Soxer" is filled with one-liners, retorts, and one-oneupmanship quips. Toss in some sight gags and you have a thoroughly enjoyable film. But what really tops this one off is the cast. Each role plays perfectly off the others. And that raises it to the level of riotously funny. At times, I found the dialog almost too fast to catch all the barbs and witticisms. I wonder how many people might have missed some of this film when it was released way back when. Were there fans then who went to the same movies three, or four or more times? Just to catch all the clever dialog they may have missed? This is where DVDs come in handy today. We can back up and replay what we may have missed.This film has two lengthy scenes which are laugh fests – one at a public picnic and one at a night club. Cary Grant, as Dick Nugent, is a master of comedy dialog. Myrna Loy as Judge Margaret Turner is a hoot with her straight face throughout. Rudy Vallee is very funny as Tommy, the jealous assistant D.A. Shirley Temple as Margaret's teenage sister Susan, Ray Collins as Uncle Matt (Dr. Beemish), and Harry Davenport as retired judge Thaddeus all bring much hilarity to their respective roles. The rest of the supporting cast shine as well. Since the script drives the humor in this film, some witty lines may help whet other's appetites. Susan asks Dick about his background. Dick says, "I did suffer. When I was 10, my mother and father had a double suicide pact. They made it. I was sent to an orphanage. Some days they didn't beat me. Then one night, I escaped. I ran away to New York. I used to steal." Susan: "What did you steal?" Dick: "Beg your pardon?" Susan: "What did you steal?" Dick: "Crusts of bread … and things. One time I stole a valise. There were paints and paint brushes inside. So I began to paint. Then they got me. I was sent to a reform school, but I escaped again." Susan: "Go on." Dick: "Back to New York. A wealthy society lady saw my work, fell in love with me and sent me to art school. The rest is history." "Susan: "How wonderful. How terribly wonderful."Susan: "You're going to make me an old maid." Margaret: "Only until you're 18." Susan: "I don't consider geometry a part of life." Margaret: "Mr. Roberts does. He says you're the first student to define a triangle as two women crazy about one man. You know I'd die for you, only sometimes it's very hard living with you."Margaret (on the bench): "It's important that I consider only the evidence presented in this matter. " District attorney: "Very well, your honor." Margaret: "Don't sulk about it." Turning to Dick: "Mr. Nugent, I've met your type before. In fact, I might say I sentence them every day of the week."Susan's high school boyfriend has just enlisted in the Army. Susan: "Well you don't have to make such a big thing about it, Jerry. After all, the war is over." Jerry: "I know, but guns go off by accident sometimes, or a fellow could trip on a bayonet."Susan, to Dick: "Do you know what you are? You're a regular Blackbeard." Margaret: "Bluebeard, dear." Susan: "Well, a rose by any color. " Dick: "Now, everybody's too excited." Tommy: "Nobody's excited." Jerry: "I'd punch you right in the nose if I wasn't afraid you'd break my jaw."When Susan finds out her sister, Margaret is attracted to Dick: "Why not send me to prison and get me out of the way?" Uncle Matt comes into the room: "I couldn't help overhearing – I had my ear to the door." Matt: "A girl her age is entitled to growing pains, isn't she?" Margaret: "Yes, but Susan's growing pains are rapidly become a major disease."Dick goes into his apartment and Matt is there. Dick: "How did you get in here?" Matt: "Well, the door was closed, so I opened it and came right in." Dick: "Well, you can open it again and go right out."Apartment bellboy: "I'm 15." Susan: "I'm 17." Bellboy: "That's okay I like older women."Matt, to Dick in his jail cell: "Well, on the whole, I think you'll find our Western penology system is quite modern." Dick: "Well, that's a load off my mind."Margaret: "Mr. Nugent, I have good news." Dick: "You're going to hang me." Margaret: "I'm afraid I'm the one who ought to be hanged." Dick: "Won't I sit down?" Margaret: "Please do."Margaret: "Please don't have any illusions about this matter. I'm dong this against my better judgment. I would just as soon my sister we're going out with an actor." Matt: "Judge Turner doesn't exactly mean that." Dick: "Oh, I was just wondering." Matt: "She means, as head of a psychiatric clinic, that I've recommended you as a vital therapy measure." Dick: "Hmmm. That's great! Recommended for children!"Margaret: "Thank you! You said that gracefully. Perhaps the result of practice?" Dick: "You said that ungraciously. Perhaps the result of practice?" Margaret: "I had that coming."Margaret: "It's nothing. I'm sure you didn't know she'd be here." Dick: "Are you sure you're sure I didn't know she'd be here?"

mark.waltz A dashing artist (Cary Grant) makes a bad impression on judge Myrna Loy. Her younger sister (Shirley Temple) encounters him at her school, and gets a school-girl crush on him that causes him nothing but headaches. When Loy misunderstands a situation where Temple ends up in Grant's apartment, she must eat crow by asking him to pretend to date Temple in order to have her sister get over him. But with all of Grant's efforts, Shirley just won't change her mind about him. Loy's associate and boyfriend Rudy Vallee is upset to discover that Loy and Grant have gone out on a date together, and confronts them at a restaurant, along with Temple and her own on-and-off boyfriend, Johnny Sands. Behind the scenes, Loy's psychiatrist uncle Ray Collins puts two and two together, and realizes that Grant and Loy are attracted to each other. Secretly, he must despise Vallee; Who wouldn't? That character is more square than the one at 42nd Street and 7th Avenue.The whole premise made me uncomfortable once I realized that Loy was pushing Grant and Temple together in order to get Temple to forget about him. Grant is said to be 18 years older in this film than the 17 year old Temple; The truth is that he was 24 years older. Older men and younger women were OK in old Hollywood; look at "Girl's Dormitory" and "Daddy Long Legs" for example. It's believable for a teenage girl to have a crush on an older man, but not to push it so hard as to taking him to a Basketball game. That Sands would loose concentration on the basketball court watching her doesn't seem believable, either. I know how important High School sports are to young athletes, and he wouldn't miss such an easy shot or not pay attention as the star center. The truth was it was a bit gross to see Temple and Grant together.Still, I did find most of the film enjoyable; I wanted to see more of Myrna Loy together with Grant, and less of Temple. Fortunately, she gave a better performance here than in other films of the mid 40's she did; She was certainly a lot less cloying and not as pouty as normal. That gets old really fast and was one of the weaker points of "Since You Went Away", an otherwise excellent film. There's an amusing birthday song bit in the restaurant scene, and the chess game between Ray Collins and Great Uncle Harry Davenport is funny too. Sadly, I found the ending to be really way too "cute" and unsatisfying. The fact that this won Best Screenplay at the Oscars (for Sidney Sheldon) was quite a questionable choice.

Rastamon41 I enjoy watching Cary Grant may a fool of himself, he will do what it takes to make a movie funny, but the star of this movie is Myrna Loy, she was in her forties, but she look like she was only in her thirties, and still sexy. he relax way of acting was wonderful to watch, never over acting, therefore she was quite believable, throw in a seventeen year old Shirly Temple, and the other supporting cast and you have a wonderful little movie. I won't spoil it for you, but I would surely recommend this movie for a enjoyable night watching movie. The funniest part of this movie is the race, I could not stop laughing, it was stupid, but rather funny. I think anyone who like Cary Grant and the lovely Myrna Loy will love this movie.