Tuesday, October 22, 2019

Movie review - 'Dear Ruth" (1947) ***1/2 (re-watching)

Various aspects of this adaptation of Norman Krasna's play haven't aged well - the pompous fake love interest is mocked for being anti smoking and anti coffee, William Holden's character is a little "I don't need consent" with his forceful kissing and horrid game where he explains how him and his soldier mates would kiss women by surprise at the train station (hahahaha).

But Krasna's play is a very solid piece of construction - it takes a simple lie (young teen writers hot love letters to airman using her sister's photo), and adds decent complications (the elder sister is engaged, the airman comes to town on leave, the airman has a sister who has her own romance), and it all feels logical.

Krasna had a great deal of affection for his characters and this comes through. Edward Arnold didn't feel quite right to me as dad and Mona Freeman got on my nerves as the teen (I get what they were going for but it's a shame Diana Lynn couldn't have played it) but William Holden and Joan Caulfield are sweet as the lead couple and Billy de Wolfe is funny as a the pompous boyfriend.

It isn't amazing but is warm and funny.

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