My Favorite Movies: The Batchelor and the Bobby-Soxer

I hear a lot of talk about how old fashioned people’s ideas used to be and about how the “younger generation” is so much different than those that came before, but I only need to look to movies like “The Bachelor and the Bobby-Soxer,” to realize just how out of sync with reality this idea is. There are differences, of course (Obvious anachronisms in vocabulary, fashion trends, etc.) but for the most part, people of the 40’s were very much like the people of today. It is only when people look back at the “good old days” after having donned their rose-colored glasses that we get such ludicrous ideas as “people were so much different back then.”

This 1947 RKO Pictures ™ release is full of wonderful moments.
Its great acting, snappy dialogue, and identifiable subject matter make this one of my all-time favorites.

Probably one of the reasons I like this movie most is the cast.

I am, I have to say, completely in love with Carey Grant, and Shirley Temple has been a favorite of mine since I was a kid, really. Myrna Loy, not often talked about in general "great actress" conversations, sparkles. She carries herself like a queen and I love the way each emotion is shown on the face even before a word is spoken. Those who say that strong female figures were lacking in times past need only to look to performances like this one. Loy portrays a single female judge in an era before “women’s lib.” My only wish in this area is that Grant and Loy had a bit more chemistry together. While they go through the motions effortlessly, that little romantic spark simply isn’t there. Shirley Temple shows a maturity that wasn't appriciated by 1947 audiences as much as I think it should have been. They didn't want their little "Curly Top" to be move out of her typical cute little little girl role. In "Bobby-Soxer" she plays a young woman of seventeen and I think maturity suited her. It is a shame that this one of her last on-screen performances- I would have loved to see her take on more meaty roles and become a scree legend as an adult, even a starlet. Alas, her talents were probably better served by her later work as a diplomat.

Though the talent in this picture is wonderful, I think enjoy the dialogue far more. You can’t beat lines like: “Great art unites the masses in every age in every country.”, “What’s up hookie-dookie,” or “I’m feeling a little sklonklish.” For those of you who are interested in trivia, this is where the bit from Labyrinth comes from:

“You remind me of a man.”

“What man?”

“The man with the power.”

“What power?”

“The power of Hoo-doo.”

“Hoo-doo?”

“You do.”

“Do what?”

“Remind me of the man.”

Ad infinitum.


Finally, I just plain love this story. Awarded with an Oscar in 1947 for best original screen-play, this farcical romp takes us through nightclub, picnics, and love. Susan Turner (Temple) is a girl with a violent passion… for whatever takes her fancy on any given day. When Susan meets Richard Nugent, artist extraordinaire, he becomes the object of her affection. Through a series of strange events, this schoolgirl gets her knight in shining armor and Grant is forced (by court order) to escort her around town. With help from the girl’s uncle, Nugent woos Susan’s older sister Judge Margaret Turner. With a delightful lighthearted humor, Sydney Sheldon gives us a glimpse at the teen-scene of 1947, and a little insight into the human condition.

I recommend this movie for lazy afternoons and days when you need a little lighthearted humor.

Two thumbs up. Fine holiday fun. ;)