Rich Man, Poor Girl

I guess "Rich Man, Poor Girl" is supposed to be akin to "You Can't Take it With You" in that the Thayers are kind of whacko.

This is a pleasant film about a wealthy man, Bill Harrison (Robert Young), who falls in love with his secretary, Joan Thayer (Ruth Hussey). She is a member of the Great Working Class.

When she brings him home to meet the family, Joan realizes how far apart they are in terms of class and upbringing. She thinks they should wait to marry. To move the date sooner, Harrison moves in with the family. But when he tries to help them, his generosity isn't always well received.

Lana Turner plays Helen, Joan's sister. Here she's probably 17 or 18 and adorable. Helen is thrilled that there's going to be a rich man in the family and can't wait. Her cousin Henry (Lew Ayres) is constantly giving bombastic lectures about the curse of "the great working class" and boy, does he sound timely. His speeches could be written today. For instance, he complains that a poor man can walk into a hospital and be treated, a wealthy man can afford to be treated, but what about the middle class? He has to pay and it could easily wipe him out.

This is certainly a lively film, with Turner a standout. It's light but fun.