A Letter for Evie

This wartime rom-com starts with an employee of a shirt company putting a letter in the pocket of a uniform shirt supplied to the military in hopes that a soldier might find it and begin a romance with her.

That scheme might sound preposterous now, but eligible women in 1945 knew well that millions of dating-aged men had been out of circulation for four years due to the war. Imagine you had turned eighteen in 1941. In 1945, the end of hostilities could be just around the corner, but it was probably frustrating to have missed "normal" dating and courtship during your prime years for marriage. The idea of finding a man via the hidden letter probably seemed romantic.

In the film, Evie (Marsha Hunt) "pockets" the letter and when a soldier finds it, he pretends to be someone who better fits Evie's dreams. We call this catfishing today. John McPherson (Hume Cronyn) is the soldier who writes back. The story has elements of "Cyrano" and "The Shop Around the Corner", but it still has many original features. Eventually, the two correspondents have to meet and things go awry.

It's a well-written story and the leads are excellent in their roles. Kudos to director Jules Dassin, who uses a light touch.

The incidental music is very enjoyable. The score also includes the romantic song "All the Things You Are", which had been used in a few other films during the forties.

Crisply paced, expertly directed, and boasting jewel-like performances by Marsha Hunt and Hume Cronyn, A Letter for Evie stands out among the wartime romances of the 1942-45 era.

The plot is self-consciously breezy. A secretary for the Trojan Shirt Company, Evie O'Conner longs for romance. She places a "Dear Soldier" letter in the pocket of an extra-large shirt bound for the army training camps of Texas in the hopes that the soldier who finds it will be a strapping, heroic man. It falls into the hands of a decidedly short and bookish Private Johnnie McPherson. As they say in the business, hijinks ensue in a case of mistaken identity. But that's where the banality ends. In the guise of a light romp, Dassin explores themes of heroism, self-sacrifice, and honesty. In one plot point, Cronyn's comic turn pretending to be drunk to save Evie from the lecherous advances of his handsome army buddy is hilarious and deft.

This movie is difficult to find, but fans of the genre should make the effort.

Why wasn't Marsha Hunt a bigger star? What a sweetie! And what a smile! Really well written take on the mistaken identity romantic comedy. The scene with the great Spring Byington where Johnny's identity was finally revealed went from laugh out loud funny to sad and touching. And the scene with Evie on the bed weeping her confusion when she finally learns the truth was equally well done: both by script writer and Marsha Hunt. Hume Cronyn was perfect. Who would have thought the actor so often cast as a weaselly villain could be such a romantic hero? I loved the last scene where Johnny heroically tries to "Tell her what she wants to hear" ends at last with the romantic resolution. By the way, that scene at the rest home with the friend of the dead soldier added a bit of depth not usually expected in such a generally frothy romance. Another example of how well this was written and played.

This charming comedy caught me completely by surprise. Though the story borrows from "Cyrano de Bergerac," director Jules Dassin puts a modern comedic spin on it, and is ably assisted thanks to a knockout comedy performance by Hume Cronyn. In it, Cronyn plays a soldier who writes to a working girl Marsha Hunt, but sends her a photo of his handsome Lothario buddy (John Carroll). Hunt is lovely as Evie, and it's easy to see why Cronyn would fall for her. The movie also didn't end exactly as I expected, which was another pleasant surprise. TCM seems to be the only place to find this movie, so eye its schedule for an upcoming showing. Definitely worth seeking it, especially for Cronyn, who is brilliant in this film.

The plot is like a million others before and since, but it doesn't feel like it somehow. Perhaps it's because Marsha Hunt and Hume Cronyn are both so charming (I've never seen the often villain-ized Cronyn play a role like this before). The rest of the actors do a good job too, with John Carroll particularly well-cast. It's amusing and somewhat touching without being sappy. I wish it wasn't so seldom shown.