Come Live with Me (1941)

User Rating:

7.0/10   

Director:

Clarence Brown

Writers:

Virginia Van Upp (story)
Patterson McNutt (screenplay)

Release Date:

31 January 1941 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Romance

Tagline:

Their FIRST TIME together...proves the LAST WORD in ROMANCE!

Plot:

Illegal immigrant and showgirl Johnny Jones is due to be deported from the USA, her only hope is to get married...

Plot Keywords:

Marriage Of Convenience | Immigrant | Marriage | Publisher | Financial Problem

Cast

James Stewart	...	Bill Smith
Hedy Lamarr	...	Johnny Jones
Ian Hunter	...	Barton Kendrick
Verree Teasdale	...	Mrs. Diane Kendrick
Donald Meek	...	Joe Darsie
Barton MacLane	...	Barney Grogan
Edward Ashley	...	Arnold Stafford
Ann Codee	...	Yvonne - Diane's Maid
King Baggot	...	Arthur - Hotel Doorman
Adeline De Walt Reynolds	...	Grandma (as Adeline de Walt Reynolds)
Frank Orth	...	Jerry - the Milkman
Frank Faylen	...	Waiter
Horace McMahon	...	Taxi Driver (as Horace MacMahon)
Greta Meyer	...	Frieda aka Martha

Runtime:

86 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Sound System)

Certification:

Australia:G | Finland:S | Sweden:15 | USA:Approved (PCA #6917)

Filming Locations:

California, USA

Company:

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM)

Trivia:

The title came from Christopher Marlowe's poem "The Passionate Shepherd". It begins, "Come Live With me, and be my love..."

Quotes:

Grandma: After all, time does heal all wounds.
Johnny Jones: Does it?
Grandma: No arguing about it. There's no arguing with any of the old sayings because that's why they are old 'cause they tell the truth, and the truth lasts.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Main Street on the March! (1941)

Soundtrack:

Long, Long Ago (1883)

Despite some flaws, a lovely romantic film

This film started off rather poorly, as you learn that Hedy Lamarr is the mistress of Ian Hunter--a married man who has a "modern marriage". This plot element was difficult to reconcile with a romantic film--after all, what's romantic about this relationship? Plus, I found it hard to care about such selfish characters. Fortunately, I kept watching the film and it turned out to be a dandy old fashioned film.

Hedy was in the US illegally--having fled Nazi-controlled Austria. So even though she had overstayed her visa, it was really hard to blame her for wanting to stay. In an odd bit of casting, the immigration agent (Barton MacLane) liked Hedy and suggested that she could get married to an American and thereby stay in the country. But she couldn't marry Hunter, as he was already married. So, a bit later, when she meets down-and-out Jimmy Stewart, she suggests they get married in name only. Unfortunately, over time, Jimmy finds himself falling for Hedy--though they hardly know each other.

I could talk more about the plot, but don't want to ruin it. The bottom line is that the writing was excellent, the acting superb and the mood wonderful. This is exactly the sort of romance that MGM did best and it's well worth a look--just don't get turned off by Ian Hunter's character--it does get better.