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Kim Walker (Deanna Durbin) wants to be a stage actress in the worst possible way. So, Kim decides that no matter how much hard work other actresses go through to get to Broadway, she'll take a shortcut. Her shortcut involves lying her head off...again and again and again. She has everyone convinced that the great actor, John Sheridan (Charles Laughton), adores her and wants her to co-star with him in her next play. Then when he learns about her ruse, she and her friend concoct and even crazier scheme...for her to do a fake suicide attempt for publicity sake. What's she going to do next? Kidnap all the other actors?? Nope...she now decides to stalk the playwright!!

I am sure this sort of script scares many actors to death...the pushy ingénue who forces her way to the top. Why? Because some not so well balanced acting wannabes might just decide to do the same...and expecting the same results! Believe me, there are many creepy stalkers out there chasing celebrities...and they DON'T need encouragement!!

So, despite this, is the film worth seeing? Well, it does end very well. Overall, though, the message it presents is creepy and the film has one too many songs for Durbin. I really think the movie SHOULD contain the following statement before it's shown: "If you act like Deanna Durbin in real life the way she acts in this one, you'll likely be arrested or blackballed for life"!

Deanna is such a sweet, old fashioned woman, she was about 23 in "Because of him". Deanna was 13 in her first appearance with Judy Garland in the short "Every Sunday" 1936, and that came out 10 years prior to "Because I know him" 1946. Deanna blossomed into a beautiful young woman in her 1940s films such as this one. And her voice is wonderful again here singing her lovely opera songs especially the tear-jerker "Danny boy".

The golden age had some beautiful operatic singing women, Janette McDonald in the 1930s and early 1940s, and Kathryn Grayson and Deanna Durban in the 1940s. All angels

Deanna had a deep admiration for John and wanted to star in his show so badly that she folded a letter that she typed herself about being invited to star in John's show, and asked him for his autograph with him only seeing the side of the paper without the letter showing. Since Deanna was waitressing and John was a customer at the restaurant she waitressed at, she was able to pull it off with John not discovering until later what she'd done. John did take it better than many characters of his sort in these types of films would take it. Generally, he took it well enough to remain calm and sympathetic towards Deanna and to keep her scheming move quiet and between only the two of them. But he didn't take it well enough to actually grant her wish to star in his show, and bluntly advised her to go back to her home town. Then Deanna, well at least her friends and family, did not keep the next plot point quiet. They publicised in the newspaper that she attempted suicide due to John's rejecting her for his show.

John's reaction to that, like with the autograph/letter scheme, was lighter than one would've expected, and he then really developed a soft spot for her innocence and determination. After that came Deanna's beautiful "Danny boy", and Deanna and John were not the only ones without dry eyes. I have a sentimental side to Golden age music, it's simply got a sweetness and charm to it that no modern music can match. Deanna Durban, Kathryn Grayson, Janette McDonald, Judy Garland, Nelson Eddie, Allen Jones, Dick Powell's singing, Ginger Rogers, Jean Harlow, Ruby Keeler, Clark Gable, Gene Kelly, Cary Grant's acting and charm, along with many others' singing, acting, sweetness, and charm have all helped to have made the pre-mid-1950s age a wonderful place

I enjoyed the movie apart from Tone's character (he was annoying and super cheesy) the rest was great. Laughton is as always the best part about the picture.

Deanna Durbin and Charles Laughton shine in this comedy that has hints of romance and mystery. The setting is a familiar one with many Durbin films - taking place around the stage, theater or a group of young folks putting on a play. And, as with most of those, Durbin has a few songs that are extemporaneous to the plot. It's a nice way to show her exceptional singing talent, without making a regular musical story. Even though some of her films with songs are grouped also as musicals -- besides those that truly fit that bill, most of them stand along as very good comedies

"Because of Him" has a funny plot and a story that really lets Laughton get into wonderful comedy. It's not of dialog and witticisms, but scenes with his very funny physical expressions. His John Sheridan reacts to the shenanigans of a ploy by Durbin's Kim Walker to break into the stage. This is a great film to watch this master actor in some superb hammy comedy. And, in most of this, Dubin plays the straight face or character with Laughton. But, she has her comical moments as well. One of the funniest is with Franchot Tone's Paul Taylor, toward the end as she tries to stick to him while he ties to get away from her. It's very funny in the apartment hallway with Durbin singing from inside his locked door, the neighbors all coming out to see what's going on, and then their carrying it into the elevator with other passengers. Donald Meek, Helen Broderick, and Stanley Ridges round out the supporting cast for comedy.

This isn't a comedy with rollicking laughter, but one of humorous drama and a caper that blows up into a full blown plot. It has obviously hammy scenarios, and an original and just very entertaining plot. The stars apparently had a lot of fun on the set, and this was another box office hit that kept Durbin on the top in Hollywood through the mid-1940s.

As a previous reviewer remarked regarding this fine film obviously has no knowledge of what a legend Deanna Durbin is with her singing voice she literally saved Universal studios from bankruptcy with her very first film at about the age of 14. With that first film Three Smart Girls she went on to have a very successful career till the age of about 27 when she retired and now lives happily in seclusion in France. Because of Him is the story of an ambitious waitress who dreams of being on the stage and with a little trickery on her side achieves her dream with the starring role of her first play much to the chagrin of the plays writer who thinks she is totally wrong for the part, but as with most of her films it comes right at the end.