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.

The Richest Girl In The World is given a remake and a slight update to reflect wartime conditions. Tycoon Laraine Day with her trusty Noah Dietrich type Edgar Buchanan is busy dedicating a new Liberty ship from one of her yards. But it ain't Laraine Day. It's Marsha Hunt pretending to be Laraine Day. One wonders why Howard Hughes never thought of this. Having someone double as him for all public appearances. Not that he couldn't have afforded it, even affording the plastic surgery if that was necessary.

Day has Barbara Hutton like worries. Can I ever know if I'm loved for me or my megabucks? Marsha Hunt might not be available any more for the deception as she wants to get married to Allyn Joslyn..

A flier played by Alan Marshal might be the answer.; She met him at a USO hall under an alias. I think you can figure the rest out.

Bride By Mistake is a good comedy product from the MGM B picture unit where the films come out like they had bigger budgets and bigger stars than they do. The film is impeccably cast and good performances all around.

To only have the problems of a Howard Hughes.

This Norman Krasna story -- with one of his typical fairytale-like plots -- was filmed in '34 as "The Richest Girl in the World" with Miriam Hopkins and Joel McCrea. And this one works as well as the first one did because Laraine Day is just as perfect for this role as Miriam Hopkins was. Hopkins played the role a bit dowdier -- or maybe it's just that Laraine Day can't help shining like an incandescent bulb on camera!

Poor little rich girl Norah Hunter can't find a man who will love her just for herself, as opposed to her vast wealth. Used to allowing her personal assistant to pose as herself in public she decides to try out this "prince and the pauper" style switch in her private life as well and see if the man she's falling for can love her for herself alone.

In both films it's a tightwalk characters and audience tread as the "he loves me--he loves me not" twists and turns wrench us gently this way and that like an old fashioned roller coaster. The supporting cast in this later film have more fleshed out roles -- and comic bits -- than the original and play them with verve.

The plot was made contemporary for the WWII era by making the love interest a pilot and surrounding the radiant Day with handsome enlisted men who have both manners and dispositions which practically no one in our culture seems to carry anymore.

Krasna was always trying out variations on the "no one knows I'm really rich or a princess or a star or whatever -- and will they love me just the same??" theme. But there's something perfectly simple and charming about this particular variation. So much so that two delightful romantic comedies were made of it. And why not -- it's great fun!

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.

Soon after this film began, I had remembered seeing this story before in the form of "The Richest Girl in the World" with Miriam Hopkins and Joel McCrea. Aside from a few updates here and there (such as making the leading man an Army Air Corps flier recuperating from some unnamed illness or injury), the story is the same. There is a super-mega-rich lady (Laraine Day) who is a bit of a recluse. And, to shield her identity, her personal assistant (Marsha Hunt) poses as the rich heiress. However, when a dashing officer (Alan Marshall) begins to show attention to both Day and Hunt, Day is smitten--but unsure who he will choose--the one with the money or her (who actually has all the money). It's all very slight plot-wise and I still think the original is better--and more original! But the actors all do a good job (particularly Edgar Buchanan in a supporting role) and it's a nice pleasant diversion--a decent romantic comedy with some nice laughs and a very game cast.

By the way, while Alan Marshall looked quite nice in the film, he was an inexplicable choice as he was an Australian. Why this guy would be in the US military and not the Australian one is a puzzler...though the same could be said for many of Errol Flynn's films as well!