I'll Wait for You

Lucky Wilson (Robert Sterling) may have a baby face, but he is a hard-boiled gangster. He muscles in on legitimate businesses to take a cut, and cuts them if they don't comply. He runs around with a bevy of beautiful women of varying intelligence, telling them all they sure know how to make a guy realize what he's been missing all his life. One night after a run-in with the cops, Lucky takes off on a high speed chase and winds up with a bullet in his wing. He lands on a farm owned by a nice family who takes him in to recover from what they believe is a wound received by a group of gangsters.

Lucky couldn't have picked a more wholesome family. Fay Holden and Henry Travers are Ma and Pa, Marsha Hunt is Pauline and Virginia Weidler is her little sister Lizzie. Pauline plays nursemaid and develops a crush on their visitor. Lizzie talks too much, shows off and does anything to keep his attention. Once he is well enough to get to the phone, Lucky calls his pals who advise him the heat is on and he better stay on at the farm as a boarder until it is safe to come back to the city.

The epitome of a wholesome feel-good film, I'll Wait For You is polished propaganda for small town America. The acting is solid, the story is believable enough without being very detailed; it is a charming film that could have used a better, more memorable title. I saw this on TCM.

The plot has been done before. Hard boiled gangster on the lam hides out at a farm and falls for the local nice/innocent girl next door.

Robert Sterling ( a poor man's Robert Taylor) plays Lucky the hood . He does a poor imitation of Robert Montgomery playing the part with a lot of Montgomery's mannerisms from "The Earl of Chicago".

Marsha Hunt plays the farm girl who really falls for him.

The plot has been done before , the very best of which is "The Life Of Jimmy Dolan" with Douglas Fairbanks Jr.

"I'll Wait for You" from 1941 is an old plot, filmed in 1934 as "Hide- Out" and, with changes here and there, like "The Life of Jimmy Dolan," the bad guy who meets good people and reforms has been done many times.

This time it's Robert Sterling as Jack "Lucky" Wilson who is the guy who has to get out of town after putting the squeeze on some local merchants. Injured, he winds up on the farm of the Miller family, consisting of various animals and Ma and Pa Miller (Fay Holden and Henry Travers) and their two daughters, Lizzie (Virginia Weidler) and Pauline (Marsha Hunt). No big surprise, he falls for Pauline and grows to like and appreciate the family.

A good cast uplifts this. Robert Sterling is a little obvious as a tough guy, but Marsha Hunt is lovely as Pauline, and Virginia Weidler provides good fun as the feisty younger daughter. Paul Kelly is the detective after Lucky, and he gives a good performance as a not so hard-boiled lawman.

This is a decent film with a sweet love story, elevated by Hunt's performance. I saw her a few years ago at a Paramount 100th birthday celebration -- she was in her nineties, looked great, and gave a nice talk. An underrated actress.

Though Hunt and Weidler make a strong impression, the movie itself doesn't. It's entertaining enough as a programmer, but the sum total lacks impact. Seems gangster Lucky (Sterling) has to flee from cops and the city to hide out in the countryside. Trouble is he's shot on the way and is taken in by a genial farm family who knows nothing about his past, which he hides from them. Meanwhile, he's captivated by the family's charmingly innocent daughter (Hunt). Thus begins a slow process of reform as Lucky discovers a more fulfilling way of life. Despite his mellowing out, however, the city cops are still looking for him.

Sterling tries hard but lacks the gravitas of the gangster part. He's likable but without the complexity the part calls for. Thus attention shifts to Hunt and the spunky Weidler. On the other hand, catch the Runyonesque Ben Weidler as a doctor, no less. I don't think his degree came from Harvard. All in all, an underlying message does seem present. Namely, that good honest farm work and its uncomplicated people are a good tonic for corrupt city ways. At least, that appears the upshot. Of course, you don't have to agree to be entertained, especially by the marvelous Hunt and the lively Weidler. At the same time, I'm glad Sterling found his forte in the Topper TV series where his natural likability was enough.

Have always been a great fan of Marsha Hunt over the years and greatly enjoy her acting career and have seen her in Broadway Plays in NYC. Todate, Marsha Hunt is 90 years of age and will be 91 in October of 2008. This picture starts off with a hood named Lucky Wilson, (Robert Sterling) who is a big time gangster who is a tough guy and muscle man for the Mob in New York City. Lucky loves women and fast living and eventually he becomes wanted by the police and his bosses recommend that he take a trip to Conn. to hide out and get away from the heat. Lucky gets shot and is found by a farm family who take him under their wing and of course, Marsha Hunt,(Pauline Miller) appears as the sweet and lovely farm gal who takes care of Lucky and the two of them grow very fond of each other. However, Lucky does not tell her about his past and when a policeman named Lt. McFarley, (Paul Kelly) appears on the scene, things start to change. This is a very nice drama and a very sweet love story which will capture your heart like it did in 1941. Enjoy.