Dear Ruth *** (1947, Joan Caulfield, William Holden, Mona Freeman, Billy DeWolfe, Edward Arnold) – Classic Movie Review 5828

Director William D Russell’s lightly entertaining 1947 film is a stage to screen transfer of Norman Krasna’s Broadway theatre  hit about a political activist teenage schoolgirl called Miriam Wilkins (Mona Freeman) who writes torrid love letters to a soldier, Lieutenant William ‘Bill’ Seacroft (William Holden), with a picture of her shy lovely older sister Ruth Wilkins (Joan Caulfield) and her name attached.

Then the Lieutenant arrives on a two-day leave to meet his pen pal after Ruth reluctantly agrees to humour him, though she is just engaged to starchy Albert Kummer (Billy DeWolfe).

Obvious, simple and frothy, it is pleasantly performed, with the young Holden especially appealing, and was very popular, resulting in a trilogy. Arthur Sheekman skilfully and amusingly adapts Krasna’s play for the screen.

Also in the cast are Edward Arnold as the girls’ crusty dad Judge Harry Wilkins, Mary Philips, Virginia Welles, Marietta Canty, Kenny [Kevin] O’Morrison, Irving Bacon, Richard Haydn and Isabel Randolph.

Two sequels soon followed: Dear Wife (1949, with all the same stars) and Dear Brat (1951, with just Freeman, Arnold and DeWolfe.

© Derek Winnert 2017 Classic Movie Review 5828

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