Quando eravamo giovani

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 love this movie but I fear that it is now, possibly, lost forever. If there is a print of this movie, I hope that it can be restored and put back out. I last saw it on Night Owl Theater, on TV, in the 1960's. You can see that I have remembered it for a very long time. I know that "Out of the Frying Pan" is still periodically revived, but I really want to see the 1943 movie. I understand that this movie is unavailable. I was unaware that William Holden and Susan Hayward were in it. I do recall Eddie Bracken. It would be great if this movie could be put on the list for restoration. There are few other movies that would be more suitable for restoration

The movie went along well enough when they weren't acting out parts that were supposed to illustrate they were still neophytes with very little talent. There were many elements of a screwball comedy but as much as I was interested in seeing the cast at this stage in their careers, this movie was so amateurishly written almost any of us could think of ways to improve it substantially. And Florence MacMichael's voice gave me a headache.

There was a bottle of medicine that figured in the plot that was supposed to be helpful for an expectant mother. It seemed to be a mystery substance known only to fictional doctors.

I'd suggest that a 1943 audience would be annoyed, even angered, that the guys weren't all in the military and the gals were totally uninterested in anything but acting. This movie would have gone over a lot better before Pearl Harbor.

I prefer Robert Benchley's writing to his movie roles but I always find him enjoyable and he worked well with Mabel Paige as the two responsible adults with all these immature young people.

If you are a very tolerant and easy-going person who laughs readily, you might enjoy this movie as a light-hearted romp. If you want to know what these people were like then, you might want to see this movie. Everybody else would be happier avoiding 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.