The Major and the Minor **** (1942, Ginger Rogers, Ray Milland, Rita Johnson, Robert Benchley, Diana Lynn) – Classic Movie Review 2662

The Viennese immigrant Billy Wilder finally fulfils his ambition to direct his first American movie in 1942 in this highly enjoyable, bubbly vintage comedy, based on the play Connie Goes Home by Edward Childs Carpenter.

Ginger Rogers gives one of her most sparkling comedy performance as a young woman forced to pretend to be a 12-year-old girl named Su-Su to get a half-price train ticket when discovers she has only enough money to cover a child’s fare to get herself home to Stevenson, Iowa. A suspicious conductor catches her smoking, and Su-Su takes refuge in one of the train’s compartments.

Even managing, more or less, to seem that young, Rogers is highly amusing as the kid, Susan Applegate, and she shares excellent screen chemistry with her co-star Ray Milland. He provides a fine foil for her as Major Philip Kirby, the officer who believes she is a frightened child, agrees to help her let her stay with him until they reach his stop, and eventually takes her home to the military academy where he teaches, pretending to be her father.

Robert Benchley is also a delight as Mr Albert Osborne, Susan’s scalp massage client who makes a pass at her, causing her to quit her job and leave New York City in the first place. Rita Johnson plays Philip’s fiancée Pamela Hill. who drives her father, Philip’s commanding officer , to meet him when the train is detained by flooding on the tracks.

Diana Lynn plays Pamela’s teenaged sister Lucy, who immediately sees through Susan’s disguise but promises to keep her secret if Susan will help her sabotage Pamela’s efforts to keep Philip at the academy.

Thanks to Wilder and his co-script-writer Charles Brackett, there is witty, finely honed writing in this beautifully crafted film with polished and pacey direction. And, also, it is very funny.

Rogers’ real mother Lela plays her screen mother. It was remade as You’re Never Too Young in 1955 with Jerry Lewis as the adult disguised as a child and Diana Lynn, who plays Lucy in the original.

© Derek Winnert 2015 Classic Movie Review 2662

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