Review of The Bachelor and the Bobby-Soxer (1947) by Matthew C — 04 Apr 2010

Pleasant Cary Grant vehicle is a relaxed, modestly amusing comedy. Shirley Temple, all growed up from a cute-as-a-button child star to a cute-as-a-button teenager, develops a fixation on Grant, a bit of an artist and a ladies man 20 years her senior, much to the consternation of her jurist sister (Myrna Loy), who had just recently presided over an assault case involving said artist.

After Temple sneaks into Grant's apartment one night to 'model' for him, giving rise to a potentially embarrassing (and prosecutable) imbroglio, Loy orders Grant to continue seeing her sister, in the hopes that she will eventually lose interest in him.

Hilarity ensues. A perfectly harmless romp, kept afloat by the charm of the leads. A dinner scene in which all the jilted lovers involved collide with each other is particularly fun. Also interesting to note how jitterbug-slanging teenyboppers of yesteryear are so similar to texting kids of today - but I guess that's where the similarities end.