Bride by Mistake

There certainly weren't any surprises in this fun movie, and you could practically predict the plot all the way through. Then bring in the absolutely gorgeous Laraine Day and the movie really has some energy in it. I love old movies and hadn't watched much of her, but I can see why she was so popular in her days. I have to say that I think Marsha Hunt is great too.

Laraine Day is so rich that her fiance walks out on her; he can't stand living in a goldfish bowl. When she falls for pilot Alan Marshall (who gives a performance suggesting that Errol Flynn was intended for the role), she switches roles with Marsha Hunt, who is her public-appearance double.

It's a wartime remake of THE RICHEST GIRL IN THE WORLD, and pretty good. The supporting cast all hit their marks, including Allyn Joslyn as Miss Hunt's husband, Edgar Buchanan as Miss Day's mother-henning advisor, and Slim Summerville as Miss Day's perpetually bemused factotum. Under the direction of Richard Wallace, the situations strain the bounds of credibility without ever quite breaking them, and a couple of the gag sequences, like when Miss Day sets off the watering system to drench Marshall and Miss Hunt, are quite funny.

Marsha Hunt never quite achieved stardom. Between a turn on the Blacklist, and, in her own words, "I never learned how to sell Marsha Hunt," she has had a long, if not stellar career. Still, she's still alive at 103 as I write this, one of the few survivors of wartime Hollywood.

Laraine Day stars with Alan Marshal, Marsha Hunt, and Allyn Joslyn in "Bride by Mistake," from 1944. This is a rehash of "The Richest Girl in the World" and maybe a few other films.

Day plays the world-famous heiress Norah Hunter, but no one sees her. Her secretary Sylvia (Hunt) poses at her at ship christenings, etc.

Sylvia is engaged to Phil Vernon (Joslyn), and she gives her notice so that she can be with him, as he is changing jobs and leaving town. Norah is due to marry soon and decides to move up the wedding so that Sylvia and Phil can attend. It doesn't work out because that night, her boyfriend dumps her. She's too rich. Like I suppose that happens.

When Norah meets Captain Anthony Travis, she's interested, but she doesn't want him knowing who she is - he might fall for her because she has money. She tests him by throwing Sylvia at him. And it turns into a big mess.

Pleasant comedy, with Day totally radiant and beautiful. I don't know why MGM couldn't come up with more for her to do - instead she was constantly loaned out. Marsha Hunt is delightful as Sylvia, and the rest of the cast is very good.

Enjoyable.

After looking at the other reviews here, I guess I am the dissenting vote. I found this film to be disappointing. I think the script creates some wonderful characters, I just wish they had been in another film.

The story revolves around a wealthy woman, Norah Hunter (Laraine Day) who has her secretary stand in for her during official ceremonies. She wishes to meet and marry a man who appreciates her for herself, not for her money. She gets the bright idea of having her secretary, Sylvia (Marsha Hunt), pose as her during a social event. By throwing the faux Norah at any who show her attention, she can weed out the unworthy.

The problem is the potential suitor, Tony Travis (Alan Marshal), who is a lunkhead with ambiguous intentions. He is drawn to the money like a fly to honey. I won't mention how the story resolves, but Tony is not worthy of Norah regardless, so any tension is dissipated.

The story feels like the product of various writers who resolved their differences of opinion by flipping a coin. Too bad; it could have been funnier and more engaging.

After Norman Krasna's Oscar-winning script for Princess O'Rourke turned into a box-office hit for Warners in 1943, RKO rehashed his similar rich-girl-masquerading-as-poor-girl story "Richest Girl in the World" for this film in 1944. The result is mixed, but Day is so lovely, supporting cast is lively, that it makes for a pleasant hour and a half. Day plays an heiress who's boyfriend dumps her because she's too rich (yeah, right.) Day switches places with her secretary, hoping to find true love that way, and complications ensue. Marsha Hunt and Allen Joslyn are particularly appealing as Day's Secretary and her new husband, forced to carry the charade to the point of breaking. A nice 40's wartime romantic comedy, not too taxing on the mind.