Twice Blessed

Fun film a la THE PARENT TRAP.

It's strong point is that it features 3 or more excellent Lindy Hop aka Jitterbug dance sequences done to big band Swing music by some of the best dancers around at the time.

Jean Porter, alive and reasonable still at this writing, also had a nice Lindy sequence in TIL THE END OF TIME with Guy Madison.

The Wilde Twins had a short career over at Metro.

Jimmy Lydon was starring in the HENRY ALDRITCH series over at Paramount.

Nice little MGM 'B" picture.

The director, Harry Beaumont, had been directing MGM films since the silent era.

Arriving via American Airlines in Florida, child psychologist Gail Patrick (as Mary Hale) has a frosty meeting with local feature editor Preston Foster (as Jeff Turner). It turns out they divorced seven years ago. Strangely, the court divided the pair's twin girls. Mother received the cultured Lyn Wilde (as Stephanie Hale) and father brought up jitterbugging Lee Wilde (as Terry Turner). Intrigued by their opposite lifestyles, the young women change identities. This means fooling boyfriends Marshall Thompson (as Jimmy) and Jimmy Lydon (as Mickey). Wondering if the parents get back together is unexciting, but the dance sequences are fun. Near the end, the Wilde twins appear as "black-faced" hotel maids...

***** Twice Blessed (5/31/45) Harry Beaumont ~ Lee Wilde, Lyn Wilde, Marshall Thompson, Jimmy Lydon

Irecently recorded this from TCM. As an old comedy, it's quite good, and brief. The teenage dialogue of the day is a blast. However, the premise that the parents got divorced because he couldn't stay married to a "strong, glamorous, working woman" is archaic. When you hear speeches about the proper raising of children and a woman's "career" it's another era. There is a quiz on Radio! Old-fashioned music and dancing make it a treat. Yes, the casting of actual twins removes the technical issues associated with the 2 "Parent Traps", but these girls didn't go on to fame and/or (mis)fortune, like the subsequent actresses. I do miss the warm moment, in the newer films, when the girls first realize they're sisters. On the other hand, there is the SHOCKING moment near the end, when the twins disguise themselves as hotel maids in BLACKFACE!

As you watch "Twice Blessed", it's obvious that this film was later remade as "The Parent Trap" by Disney. However, if you check the IMDB pages for each film, they claim to be written by different writers...which is odd since the Disney film clearly wasn't just inspired by "Twice Blessed"...it is, essentially, the same film with one major difference. Instead of using one actress to play both twin sisters, in this original actual twins, Lyn and Lee Wilde, play twin sisters.

Jeff and Mary (Preston Foster and Gail Patrick) are godawful parents. After they divorced, they separated their twins...with Jeff taking one and Mary taking the other! While the girls get to spend a little time together, they essentially live separate lives because the parents are jerks. On a lark, the girls agree to switch places without telling their parents...and both have difficulty adjusting to their sister's very different lives. Goofiness ensues. At the same time, their parents start reassessing their divorce.

While you'd THINK both sisters would be very similar because they are identical, oddly in this film they are totally different...with one being a swing-loving teen and the other being a super brainiac. Oddly, the brainiac needs glasses...the other doesn't! To me, this is a weakness of the plot and makes the switch seem a bit silly. Another weakness is the unlikability of the parents and the father's very nasty girlfriend, Alice. Overall, an interesting plot due to its obvious connection to the Disney films but one that really makes little sense when you think about it...something you could also say about the Disney ones as well.

To my mind, this is the best version of Kaestner's Das Doppelte Lottchen (The two Lottchens), much superior to "The Parent Trap" primarily because it uses real twins rather than one person in a double role. I would like to see this film rereleased on video.