Le fiancé de ma fiancée

This is my absolute favorite movie. They used to play it on the old movie chancels pretty often, but I have not seen it in a while. I will watch this movie every time it comes on TV. Even though there are plenty of sight gags, the best part of the movie is the interaction between the characters. This movie has some of the best dialog. I laugh out loud every time I watch it. I especially love the scene at the train station where Bill talks the group into "playing railroad". Even though it was made in the forties, it still stands up today. If you like romantic comedies, this is the movie for you. Great characters; Great acting; Great writing. I highly recommend it. (It truly should be on DVD. Who decides these things?)

I saw this movie many years ago and hardly remember anything, except loving it. Here is what I wrote in my diary:

"One of the most delightful comedies I have ever seen. I was in awe of the writer's wit and wisdom. The moral of the movie is that the greatest duty is the duty to oneself, the duty to be happy, to do as one pleases, not as one should, for the "shoulds" are nothing but other people's opinions."

At the time I didn't know the writer was Norman Krasna. Eventually, he would become one of my favorites. A Krasna movie is guaranteed excellence. His sense of humor and dignity never fail. Of course, one needs some of his smarts to understand him.

I recently had the opportunity to see this film as what a delight! I can not understand that so many wonderful films of the 40's are not shown on the multiple cable channels. This films was packed with great stars and a very funny storyline. Just having the chance to see a very young Willam Holden was worth anything... What a handsome man!!! These family films seem to be all but forgotten, and it is a shame- I only wish that some of the movie executives would take a second look at some of these treasures and decide to release them on DVD. There were two sequels and they were also really great. What a good idea to release all three in one DVD set! If anyone out there is listening, we want this film on DVD!!!!

On Broadway Dear Ruth by Norman Krasna debuted on December 13, 1944 and ran for 680 performances until 1946. By the time it got to the silver screen there certainly were enough people in the audiences who got all the wartime references in the story though peace had been around for two years at that point.

John Dall and Virginia Gilmore starred on Broadway and in the film their roles were played by William Holden and Joan Caulfield. If there ever was a 'smiling Jim' role for Bill Holden as he liked to call the nice guy parts he was stuck typecast in the Forties this part in Dear Ruth is the quintessential. He even played this same part in a sequel entitled Dear Wife and virtually the same type part in Apartment For Peggy.

Caulfield is the eldest of two daughters of Edward Arnold and Mary Phillips. The youngest is a rebellious bobby soxer played by Mona Freeman. To do her bit for the morale Freeman wrote a letter to an unknown soldier Holden who was in the Army Air Corps. They become soul mates in the correspondence, but he encloses a picture of Caulfield and signs her name to it. Not pleasing to Caulfield and even less to her 4F co-worker Billy DeWolfe.

After that they see the earnest and idealistic Holden and the whole family just can't let him down when he surprises her with a 48 hour pass visit. She goes through with the masquerade, even DeWolfe reluctantly agrees.

The film is cute and has some laughs, but really if a woman had a chase between the Bills, Holden and DeWolfe who do you really think she would choose?

This was one of the most delightful films I have ever seen. Film makers have forgotten what the elements of a good film are. This one has it all: character development, snappy dialogue, humor, love, and a happy ending. The actors and actresses tell their story not only with words, but with their expressions and other non-verbal communication. Who needs fantastic stories, mindless violence, etc. This kind of film really entertains.