Review of The Bachelor and the Bobby-Soxer (1947) by Eric R — 15 Nov 2011

Judge Margaret Turner (Myrna Loy) is a fact-based professional individual who evaluates every situation with detailed eyes. She is the guardian to her sister Susan (Shirley Temple), a hormonal teenage girl who has developed a hard crush on Richard Nugent (Cary Grant), a bachelor and art lecturer who happens to do a presentation at her school.

This does not sit well with Margaret who decides to blackmail Richard into pretending to be Susan's beau for the time being with the idea that she will grow out of her teenage crush over Richard. The Bachelor and The Bobby Sox is a rather predictable romantic comedy that ends up turning into more a love triangle and Richard begins to fall for Margaret after spending all sorts of time with Susan and Margaret.

The film is playful, typical of rom-coms for the decade, and does feature some fun sequences with Cary Grant. The film's story is sorta misogynistic in it's portrayal of woman's need to settle down and find a man but that's rather standard for the time.

One particular aspect of the film that I enjoyed is how Cary Grant is portrayed in bright shining armor when Susan first sees him, and later for Margaret as well, when she starts to fall for him. The Bachelor and the Bobby Sox is a good, fun little rom-com from the late 40's but its rather average when compared to other rom-coms from the period.