Young and Willing

I dearly love this movie -- it's been a favorite of mine for years. It's no Gone With the Wind, to be sure, but it's entertaining, witty, and sometimes laugh-out-loud funny. The cast not only contains a pre-stardom William Holden and Susan Hayward, which alone is enough of a recommendation, but it has some absolutely priceless performances from Mabel Paige, Robert Benchley, Eddie Bracken, Martha O'Driscoll, and Florence MacMichael. The whole film, from start to finish, offers an implausible, screwball-type plot and performances, and it is absolute fun. There is truly never a dull moment -- and the more you see it, the more you'll appreciate it.

I found this on Youtube in multiple clips and downloaded it and put it together in one file. I'm very glad I did. It's one of the brightest, funniest, and original comedies I've seen in a long time. The cast is filled with young up and coming future stars and they shine wonderfully. The first half is well setup and the laughs in the second half come fast and often. The old hands give the movie a solid foundation for the newcomers to play on. I would love to find a good print because this film deserves to be seen as good as new. Track it down and forgive the print quality and enjoy the show.

william holden stars in his last film before going to war. the film did not get the credit it should have so i'm giving it now. it is a near perfect comedy that keeps going and never slows down. william holden susan hayward martha o'driscoll and eddie bracken all turn in fine performances but the always great robert benchley steals the show. this film is well worth a four star treatment.

In the 1940s, it simply wasn't proper for a man and a woman to cohabitate without being married. Let alone three men and three women! Although they've all taken a pledge not to get romantically involved with each other until their acting careers have taken off, young love just can't be stopped. When one of the girls' father stops by for an impromptu visit, the boys are forced into a hasty exit to pretend they don't live in the apartment.

The entire film takes place in the one-room apartment, so it's easy to imagine Francis Swann's original play onstage. It feels like one lengthy Frasier episode, with gags, mistaken identities, and situational comedy, so if you like that sort of fast-paced hilarity, you'll probably like this one. I couldn't stop laughing. I love fast-paced wit, and it's always funny to laugh at fledging actors if you once were one yourself.

While William Holden and Susan Hayward play two of the roommates, it's Florence MacMichael who stays in my memory as the funniest one in the show. She's the thorn in everyone's side, and while she might annoy some audience members with her constant baby-talk, I found it adorable. Young and Willing isn't a classic most people remember, but it's certainly funny enough to rent during a fun girls' weekend.

I found it hard to believe that a studio would waste the talents of William Holden and Susan Hayward on such an embarrasing, sophmoric script. Ms. Swann (screenwriter) capped her career writing for the dreadful TV series DARK SHADOWS. Holden and Hayward and the rest of the players put their heart and souls into this hard-to-watch comedy. They all play it to the hilt, but got no laughs out of me. Eddie Bracken did his usual shtick -- and Robert Brenchley (who I find more irritating than funny) does his usual thing. Breezy, likeable Barbara Britton is nice to watch and we get to see handsome James Brown in his underwear. Martha O'Driscoll is way over-the-top. This MIGHT have worked if the players were kids (17-20)-- instead we have actors in their mid-twenties looking pretty ridiculous. I usually don't like writing negative reviews, but I'm upset that I actually had to sit through this, based on a highly recommended review on IMDB. I actually BOUGHT the video. Yikes!