L'amour sous les toits

Jeanne Crain is a breathlessly talkative expectant mother who lives with her husband, a former soldier, in a trailer; she chances to meet retired professor Edmund Gwenn, who feels his mundane, monotone existence means retreating from this world, but he goes along with her plan to let the couple temporarily move into his attic. The perfect example of what they used to call 'whimsical comedy'; despite a clumsy start, it still seems heartfelt today, perhaps even meaningful. Gwenn conveys the most complex emotions simply by wordless expression, and Crain's exuberance grows on you (she's better though in her quieter moments). With these two front and center, William Holden ends up playing third wheel, yet his solid-but-amiable masculinity is a nice counterpoint to kooky Crain (he also has some fine scenes alone with Gwenn). The gentlemen in Gwenn's musical troupe are all wonderful, and the writing and direction--though primed for audience approval--genuinely work wonders with what might've been a stale set-up. This tearjerker is a true gem. ***1/2 from ****