Some of the most important films from the studio era have already slipped into obscurity. This is one of them. It occurs to me how much care is put into these productions, which makes it all the more lamentable that people no longer watch them.
Paulette Goddard is the lead, re-teamed with her director (Mark Sandrich) and costar (Sonny Tufts) from the previous year's smash hit SO PROUDLY WE HAIL!. It is also from Paramount and also written by Sandrich's frequent collaborator Allan Scott. Miss Goddard came to starring roles in Hollywood by way of her association with Charlie Chaplin- so there's built-in prestige when she's cast in a picture, even if she's playing a working class nobody like she is here.
The character is not really a bad girl. She's welding by day in a factory and entertaining soldiers by night. But she's got issues, serious commitment issues. She also has earned a reputation as someone who is not altogether responsible, because of her unwillingness to settle down. This is not to say she doesn't have a few respectable friends.
Her roommate (Ann Doran) is a well-regarded bride expecting a baby, whose husband is off in the war. And two other gals (Marie McDonald and Mary Treen) that live down the hall and work the same shift at the factory get on great with Goddard. Treen, in particular, develops a close bond with Goddard when they become involved with two military pals (Tufts and Walter Sande), and things start to get serious.
Meanwhile, two other respectable people are added into the mix. They include Barry Fitzgerald as a kind-hearted cable car operator, providing some lighter moments...as well as Beulah Bondi as a lonely society woman whose nephew has been killed in action. She provides some of the more dramatic heartfelt moments.
One very good thing about Scott's script is that all these characters- old/young; rich/poor; married/unmarried- come together like family. The war creates a sense of unity that cuts across socio economic lines. This community feeling is most evident during the church wedding sequence when Treen's character is married...and during the part when Doran gives birth.
At the heart of the story, of course, is Goddard's relationship with Tufts. Initially, she fights her attraction to him, but eventually gives in. Then pow! She finds out he has a wife back east. However, the wife is filing for divorce and has gone to Mexico to obtain her independence. This frees Tufts up to be with Goddard, but the war is still not over...he's being shipped off to Asia.
There is a wonderful final sequence where Goddard is able to overcome her own personal issues and fully commit to Tufts the soldier she loves, despite any uncertainties about their future life.
At an hour and forty-six minutes, this is more than a standard romance comedy-drama. Scott's script takes us deep into the war wounds and healings of the characters. We believe in them as real people from a distinct time and place.
Paulette Goddard is the lead, re-teamed with her director (Mark Sandrich) and costar (Sonny Tufts) from the previous year's smash hit SO PROUDLY WE HAIL!. It is also from Paramount and also written by Sandrich's frequent collaborator Allan Scott. Miss Goddard came to starring roles in Hollywood by way of her association with Charlie Chaplin- so there's built-in prestige when she's cast in a picture, even if she's playing a working class nobody like she is here.
The character is not really a bad girl. She's welding by day in a factory and entertaining soldiers by night. But she's got issues, serious commitment issues. She also has earned a reputation as someone who is not altogether responsible, because of her unwillingness to settle down. This is not to say she doesn't have a few respectable friends.
Her roommate (Ann Doran) is a well-regarded bride expecting a baby, whose husband is off in the war. And two other gals (Marie McDonald and Mary Treen) that live down the hall and work the same shift at the factory get on great with Goddard. Treen, in particular, develops a close bond with Goddard when they become involved with two military pals (Tufts and Walter Sande), and things start to get serious.
Meanwhile, two other respectable people are added into the mix. They include Barry Fitzgerald as a kind-hearted cable car operator, providing some lighter moments...as well as Beulah Bondi as a lonely society woman whose nephew has been killed in action. She provides some of the more dramatic heartfelt moments.
One very good thing about Scott's script is that all these characters- old/young; rich/poor; married/unmarried- come together like family. The war creates a sense of unity that cuts across socio economic lines. This community feeling is most evident during the church wedding sequence when Treen's character is married...and during the part when Doran gives birth.
At the heart of the story, of course, is Goddard's relationship with Tufts. Initially, she fights her attraction to him, but eventually gives in. Then pow! She finds out he has a wife back east. However, the wife is filing for divorce and has gone to Mexico to obtain her independence. This frees Tufts up to be with Goddard, but the war is still not over...he's being shipped off to Asia.
There is a wonderful final sequence where Goddard is able to overcome her own personal issues and fully commit to Tufts the soldier she loves, despite any uncertainties about their future life.
At an hour and forty-six minutes, this is more than a standard romance comedy-drama. Scott's script takes us deep into the war wounds and healings of the characters. We believe in them as real people from a distinct time and place.