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Legendary star Jean Arthur ended her Columbia contract with THE IMPATIENT YEARS in 1944 and walked away from her screen career to return to the movies only twice within the next eight years. This mildly entertaining light drama was not a particularly memorable ending to the golden era of her career but it is an acceptable one. Jean married solider Lee Bowman in a whirlwind courtship before he left for duty, now that he's back they find they have nothing in common except for the baby she gave birth to while he was away. A bad first day back home has the duo headed to divorce court where judge Edgar Buchanan agrees with Jean's dad (Charles Coburn) suggestion that they be forced to relive their whirlwind courtship again for a few days to see if they really don't have anything in common before a divorce will be granted.

This is essentially a drama with a few comic touches. Jean Arthur is always good and looks remarkably youthful at 43 (although publicized at the time as 38) completely believable as a young girl who has become completely domesticated without a husband (or really wanting one). Lee Bowman was one of several rather colorless actors promoted to leading man during the war years while many major stars were away serving in the military. He's OK here but not much more than that and is saddled with a character that has a rather unpleasant edge. Certainly the "second courtship" of Arthur and Bowman doesn't ring true in it's resolution.

Phil Brown plays Jean's bookish boarder who is half in love with her and has been playing surrogate, platonic husband while Bowman has been away. Brown doesn't make a particularly strong impression on screen but he went on to have a very long if minor career reaching his apex with a small role in 1977 in STAR WARS. He passed away just last year, 2006.

Charles Coburn is wasted here but a few other character actors shine in their small roles, notably Charley Grapewin as an elderly bellhop and Harry Davenport and Jane Darwell as the justice of the peace and his wife.

THE IMPATIENT YEARS proves at least that Jean Arthur could handle drama as well as her more acclaimed talent for comedy. The star was one of a kind but the film alas is run of the mill.

With 'The Impatient Years' Hollywood addressed an issue that was probably far from unique during the war years: People who got married on the basis of a few days' acquaintance, who were then almost immediately separated because the husband had to go off to war, and who found, once he returned, that they had little in common. The film is in essence a humour-wrapped piece of advice on how to deal with such a situation. I am sure many viewers were able to relate to the story even if they found the advice itself impractical, to say the least. Jean Arthur, who plays the confused and bewildered young wife who meets a husband whom she hardly knows, is brilliant; the range of emotions she shows is stunning. Charles Coburn is excellent as interfering father and Phil Brown gives a convincing (and funny) lodger in love. Lee Bowman (as the husband) is perhaps a little bland. The plot moves fast; dialogues are witty. All in all this is a really nice comedy that is currently underrated at on average 6.4 stars.

While I am a huge fan of Jean Arthur's films, this final film from her Columbia Pictures contract is a rather mediocre film--at least compared to her more famous films (which are many). Now this isn't to day it's bad--certainly not. No, it's more just a film with excellent acting but a premise and writing that just don't deliver.

Jean and Lee Bowman star as a couple that knew each other only a few days before they married. He then shipped out overseas after only knowing her four days. When he returns, it's now very awkward since they hardly knew each other and it seems that what they do discover about each other they don't like! This is an excellent idea and could be the basis of a good film (sort of like a follow-up to THE CLOCK--an excellent Judy Garland film where she meets and marries a nice guy she hardly knows). However, what happens next is pretty silly and impossible to believe. They decide to divorce and the judge (Edgar Buchanan) decides to follow Jean's father's advice (Charles Coburn) and sentence them to spend four days together re-living the four days they'd previously had--in an effort to get them to realize WHY they married in the first place! This plot device is just silly and impossible to believe. However, if you look past this, the film is amiable enough and entertaining. Not a great flick, but certainly a must for Jean Arthur fans. Also, it is interesting to see Coburn playing a not-so-gruff "nice guy" role for a change. I actually watched the film mostly for him, though I also adore Jean's films.

Based on Jean Arthur's definitive biography, The Actress Nobody Knew, critics, and apparently Oller, did not think much of this film or of Arthur's co-star, Lee Bowman. At the beginning of my foray into classic cinema I would have taken this opinion, and the opinion of other legitimate critics at face value. However, having since discovered many, many underrated gems (and underrated actors) that critics in the past and the present overlook, I decided to watch The Impatient Years and form my own opinion.

Jean Arthur is one of my favorite actresses and in "The Impatient Years" (which could also be the title of her fractious tenure at Columbia), she gives one of the best performances of her film career. In contrast to her independent, softly cynical characters of the 1930s, she played slightly befuddled "spinster" roles in the 1940s, but the role of Janie Smith Anderson managed to meld both attributes into an appealing and touching performance. Lee Bowman was equally wonderful in his role as Sgt Andrew Anderson, bringing an assured, low-key type of charm to the screen. I must also praise the supporting cast made up of the fantastic Charles Coburn, and lovely character actors Harry Davenport, Charley Grapewin, Phil Brown, and Grant Mitchell.

Clocking in at a well-rounded 90 minutes, "The Impatient Years" is one of those unsung gems full of humor, pathos, and romance, which also takes a good, hard look at the issue of a runaway marriage and the strain of war. I can only imagine how audiences reacted to this film during war-time, and hope that it brought as much joy and entertainment to them as it did for me.

I disagree the movie is just ordinary. While somewhat predictable in its outcome, the uncomfortable interaction between and Mr. and Mrs. Anderson was delightful. Her father provided the kind of advise Dr. Phil could learn from. Whenever I watch the old movies for the first time, the notion of a simpler time in America and the world is refreshing. I don't want to see the same garbage we call movies today. Hollywood's golden era need not be ashamed of "The Impatient Years". It takes us back in time to when saying "I do" was supposed to mean something. Thank you Jean Arthur and Lee Bowman for an uplifting movie experience.