Pede-se um Marido

COME LIVE WITH ME manages to be a charming trifle of a romantic comedy that gives HEDY LAMARR and JAMES STEWART a chance to prove that they may have seemed like an unlikely pair but have sparkling chemistry with each other.

Hedy is incredibly beautiful (as always) as a woman who must find a husband quickly or be deported. On a rainy night, she and Stewart meet accidentally in a fast food diner, and immediately she decides that this penniless bachelor will have to do. She makes a strictly business proposition with the man, a writer down on his luck, which he rather readily accepts--and a loveless marriage is negotiated so that she can wed Stewart, stay in the country longer, and then wed IAN HUNTER, who intends to divorce his wife.

It's all rather silly and highly improbable. The deepening relationship between Stewart and Lamarr is never really fleshed out so that the viewer can expect to see hints of romance developing. Instead, after his story is accepted by a publisher (Hunter), Stewart decides to whisk Lamarr off to the country to meet his grandmother in a picture perfect rural setting. Naturally, love develops quickly and before you know it, Ian Hunter is out of the running as Hedy's prospective mate.

The most original element in the story has to do with fireflies and Hedy's decision to use a flashlight "to attract a mate".

It's an unassuming little comedy/romance, nicely played by the two leads and given good support by ADELINE DeWALT REYNOLDS as the grandma with her platitudes on plaques, VERREE TEASDALE as the publisher's open minded wife, DONALD MEEK as a park bum and FRANK FAYLEN as a tough talking counterman at a diner.

Clarence Brown must be commended for getting a relaxed and assured performance from Lamarr, who never looked lovelier. Stewart is his usual earnest self, especially good in some comic reaction shots.

Jimmy, Hedy, goofy Ian Hunter, and "sensible" Verree Teasedale make a wonderful primary cast for this nice film. Unusually, I keep looking for more nuances each time I view it, hoping that there is more to the characters in facial nuances and body gestures. I think 5-10 minutes of additional dialogue to flesh out the characters and their relationships with each other would have helped this movie go beyond its superficiality. This is one of those films where I wonder what was cut from the script and what ended up on the cutting room floor. Clarence Brown directed a lot of fantastic films, so I'm guessing the script/story faults are partly from Virginia Van Upp (story) and Patterson McNutt (screenplay); who knows what the role producers at MGM had in trimming the movie for release.

This is a wonderful Jimmy Stewart and Hedy Lamarr movie. Very romantic and sentimental. Jimmy Stewart's grandma in the movie is priceless. A must for your collection - not available to buy; however, sometimes comes on American Movie Classics. I have had a recording of it for years. It's one of my favorites.

Hedy Lamarr is as dazzling as ever with a wardrobe to match in "Come Live with Me," a 1941 light romantic comedy directed by Clarence Brown and also starring James Stewart.

Lamarr is Johannes "Johnny" Jones, a showgirl who has immigrated from "what was Austria"; however, her visa has run out. Her boyfriend, publisher Barton Kendrick (Ian Hunter) has an open arrangement with his wife (Veree Teasdale); he also has connections, but immigration shows up too soon.

The immigration officer takes pity on Johnny and gives her one week to get married so she can stay in the country. He assumes, wrongly, that she is going to marry Kendrick.

Obviously, she can't, but then she meets a down and out writer, Bill Smith (Stewart) and talks him into marrying her. She agrees to pay him $17 a week, which equals his living expenses.

"Come Live with Me" is not a rip-roaring screwball comedy but a nice romantic one with some fine performances from Lamarr, Stewart, Hunter, Teasdale, Donald Meek, and Adeline De Walt Reymolds as Bill's grandmother.

De Walt Reynolds had only begun her acting career the year before, in 1940, at the age of 78. She lived to be 98 and worked mostly on television until she died. She's excellent here.

Stewart and Lamarr do well together. Worth seeing - no blockbuster, but it will leave you with a smile on your face.

Showgirl Johnny Jones (Hedy Lamarr) aka Johanna Janns has overstayed her visa and is getting deported. She's Austrian afraid of going back to the Nazi regime after her father was murdered by them. She's having an affair with married publisher Barton Kendrick. The Immigration officer hints at holding up her case for a week to give her an opportunity to stay if she marries an American. She meets struggling writer Bill Smith (James Stewart) who is literally on his last dime. Since Barton is married, another solution pops up.

Stewart and Lamarr have good chemistry. It would work well if they have a bit more time together in the middle. As often the case in older movies, it also needs to get to the meet-cute a bit sooner. The movie gets a second wind when Bill forces Johnny to go on that trip. If it happens sooner, Johnny could run away with Barton and Bill would chase after her. There would be enough time for a little bit more romantic drama. Nevertheless, this is a lovely rom-com for a well-matched pair.