YOUNG AND WILLING
US, 1942, 83 minutes, Black and white.
William Holden, Susan Hayward, Eddie Bracken, Robert Benchley, Martha O' Driscoll, Barbara Britton, James Brown, Mabel Paige.
Directed by Edward H. Griffith.
Young and Willing is a pleasant piece of comedy fluff about aspiring young actors in New York during the war. It was designed to showcase some of the young talent at Paramount at the time. William Holden and Susan Hayward went on to great success. Eddie Bracken appeared in a number of very good roles in comedy. There is humorous support from Robert Benchley and from Mabel Paige as the dotty landlady. There is a humorous performance by Florence Mc Michael as the scatty Muriel.
1. Entertaining New York theatre comedy?
2. Paramount production values of the 1940s: black and white photography, New York city? The film as a showcase for Paramount talent?
3. The pleasant plot, the six youngsters hoping for theatrical success? The suspicious father? The absentminded landlady? The antagonistic producer? The busybody friend? Popular ingredients for comedy?
4. The sketch of the characters; Norman as the leader, his cynical touches, quick thinking, romantic lead? Dotty as being a bit dotty, the girl from the country, ingenuous, putting her foot in it? Kate as tough-minded and taking control or situations? Marge and Tony and the figure in the window, the fight, Tony called up, Marge and the baby? George and his various impersonations of an apple, Napoleon etc (and the constant humour about the Stanislavski method)?
5. Robert Benchley's comic style as Mr Kenny, his cooking, antagonism towards the group, the rehearsal of his play? With Mrs Garnett?
6. Mrs Garnett and her wanting the rent, slow her participation in the shenanigans?
7. Dotty's father and the Illinois suspicions of the city; propriety? telling tales, the antagonism of the group, Muriel and her voice, her being the corpse in the rehearsal of the play? The police turning up?
8. The humour of youngsters wanting to make something of themselves, rehearsing plays, spying on the producer? Trying to cover up and the impersonation of the wardsman when Dotty's father arrived the asylum etc.? The rehearsal of the play?
9. Humour at the expense of actors and actresses and their aspirations, the Stanislavski method of identifying with characters and things? A humorous showcase for talent?
