The Bachelor and the Bobby-Soxer
Released Date: September 1, 1947
Director: Irving Reis
Actors: Cary Grant, Myrna Loy, Shirley Temple, Rudy Vallee, Ray Collins, Harry Davenport, Johnny Sands, Don Beddoe, Veda Ann Borg, and Lillian Randolph
Cary Grant had a very tough childhood. While he was growing up, his parents fought all the time. And it was usually about Grant, who's real name was Archibald Leach. They fought a lot about his piano playing. Mostly because it cost money to buy the piano, and then to take lessons was a new fight. Young Cary thought it was his fault, maybe his entire life, the reason his parents left him. But by the time he was nine years old, his father left the family, and started a whole new family. His mother stayed at home for a while, and then one day when Cary got home from school, she was not there. Family told him that she had moved away. Then shortly after, to keep him from finding out the real truth, they told him she had died. Upset, hurt and scared he asked his father if he could live with him and his new family. His father told him no. So Cary Grant then had to go on and work and provide for himself. At fourteen, he lied about his age, forged his dad's signature and joined a comedy group called Bob Pender's troupe. His mother was really in a mental institution. He saw his mother again when he was in his late twenties. But look at where he ended up, famous, handsome and rich. He ended up fine, but had a lot of trouble getting to happiness.
Richard Newton (Cary Grant), is a handsome, smart and funny artist, who seems to get in all sorts of scrapes. He is literally the victim. And cannot seem to be at the right spot and the right time to save his life. Even in his own home. When Richard ends up in court over a fight at a bar, he is released due to the fact that everyone was involved. The judge that made the final call is Judge Turner (Myrna Loy), whom Newton finds attractive. Newton lets Judge Turner know that he is to give a lecture that morning at a high school. Judge Turner has a sister that is in high school, and she will be at the lecture. Judge Turner did not figure this out till later on. Susan Turner (Shirley Temple) is the Bobby-Soxer. She is a young lady, in high school, who has lots of boyfriends and a pretty busy life. She goes to the lecture with her "boyfriend" and ends up falling head over heels for Newton. When she ends up going to his house to be the next model for him, Newton ends up going to jail and put into court once again. This time, he is told that he has to date Miss Susan Turner for a while, till Susan is over him. This movie is very fun, funny and smart. I was very pleased with the whole movie. It is, in a word, cute. Shirley Temple is a young woman in this movie, and not the young little girl with curly hair that everyone remembers.
