Baciami e lo saprai!

Arriving via American Airlines in Florida, child psychologist Gail Patrick (as Mary Hale) has a frosty meeting with local feature editor Preston Foster (as Jeff Turner). It turns out they divorced seven years ago. Strangely, the court divided the pair's twin girls. Mother received the cultured Lyn Wilde (as Stephanie Hale) and father brought up jitterbugging Lee Wilde (as Terry Turner). Intrigued by their opposite lifestyles, the young women change identities. This means fooling boyfriends Marshall Thompson (as Jimmy) and Jimmy Lydon (as Mickey). Wondering if the parents get back together is unexciting, but the dance sequences are fun. Near the end, the Wilde twins appear as "black-faced" hotel maids...

***** Twice Blessed (5/31/45) Harry Beaumont ~ Lee Wilde, Lyn Wilde, Marshall Thompson, Jimmy Lydon

This is one of my favorite movies! The cast, plot and the dancing (especially the dance contest scene), are all wonderful! The twins are so cute! I hope it is released on video sometime in the near future. My grandma is another fan of "Twice Blessed". She saw it in the theater in 1945, but that was 34 years before I was born.

Irecently recorded this from TCM. As an old comedy, it's quite good, and brief. The teenage dialogue of the day is a blast. However, the premise that the parents got divorced because he couldn't stay married to a "strong, glamorous, working woman" is archaic. When you hear speeches about the proper raising of children and a woman's "career" it's another era. There is a quiz on Radio! Old-fashioned music and dancing make it a treat. Yes, the casting of actual twins removes the technical issues associated with the 2 "Parent Traps", but these girls didn't go on to fame and/or (mis)fortune, like the subsequent actresses. I do miss the warm moment, in the newer films, when the girls first realize they're sisters. On the other hand, there is the SHOCKING moment near the end, when the twins disguise themselves as hotel maids in BLACKFACE!

Stephanie (Lyn Wilde) and Terry (Lee Wilde) are identical twins who have been separated since their parents, Jeff Turner (Preston Foster) and Mary Hale (Gail Patrick), got divorced seven years earlier. Mary is a top assistant to a Senator and had raised Stephanie who became a brainy shy teen. Reporter Jeff's easy parenting style has made Terry a free-spirit party girl. The girls envy each other and decide to switch places.

I know times have changed. Jeff is still one angry petty man. It's not an appealing look. Other than for the kids, this couple is better off apart. I really don't want her going back to him. This is Parent Trap but the message is way different. The girls do have some fun adventures. Let's ignore the black face. Mostly, I don't like Him.

There are several sequences that are offensive to the 21st century viewer, but remember the era and remember all of this was normal, and, at least, no group was ridiculed or put down.

The dance sequences alone are so "precious" (meaning unique and interesting) that to have them on film is a joy. The teenage language and the parents' fight against juvenile delinquency shows this started in the mid-40s and not in the 50s as is common belief. James Dean, the "bad" boy, is considered a juvenile delinquent, and we've all seen the anti-reefer films that promised communism if we inhaled.

But this is the swinging 40s, an era our parents said was tame and in which there was no such thing as juvenile delinquency. The 40s. to them, was nirvana. It was Elvis and the evil 50s that brought in juvenile delinquency and the society-rotting influence of the communist-inspired rock and roll. How many of us were punished for listening to Bobby Vee and Lesley Gore?

The 40s youth culture is a sight to behold and this film plants it into its eternal position. There are a multitude of adult swing movies from this era, but few teenage movies. This one is a "gas", pardon my euphemism, as is worth seeing.