Young and Willing

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.

This comedy from Paramount Pictures/United Artists and director Edward H. Griffith has six aspiring stage performers, Norman (William Holden), George (Eddie Bracken), Tony (James Brown), Kate (Susan Hayward), Dottie (Martha O'Driscoll), and Marge (Barbara Britton), all sharing an apartment to save on expenses. They have to keep their co-habitation a secret though, so as to not upset the morals of the day and risk immediate eviction. Their situation is upended by the arrival of cousin Muriel (Florence MacMichael) who wants to spill the beans on their arrangement, and playwright Arthur Kenny (Robert Benchley), a major Broadway figure who resided in the same apartment building in his younger years, and who has returned to recharge his creative batteries.

I found this more irritating than amusing. MacMichael uses an incredibly annoying cutesy baby voice that grates on the nerves. Neither the screenwriters nor the director succeeded in opening up the action much from its stage origins, and as such the majority of the film transpires in a single room. Future big-time movie stars Holden and Hayward are fine in their roles, but neither really displays much in the way of screen magnetism. Bracken gets to do most of the silliest shtick, naturally. This reminded me of a prototype version of Friends.

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 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.