The Bachelor and the Bobby-Soxer is a 1947 screwball comedy film starring Cary Grant, Myrna Loy, and Shirley Temple. The film was directed by Irving Reis and written by Sidney Sheldon.
Director: Irving Reis
Production Company: RKO Radio Pictures
Distributor: RKO Radio Pictures
Cast: Cary Grant, Myrna Loy, Shirley Temple, Rudy Vallee
US Box Office: $10,500,000 ($264,400,000 adjusted for inflation)
Film Format: Black & White
Genre: Comedy
Release Date: July 24, 1947 (premier); September 1, 1947 (wide release)
Plot Summary: Margaret Turner (Myrna Loy) is a female judge who lives with her younger sister Susan (Shirley Temple). Susan has a crush on artist Richard Nugent (Cary Grant), but Margaret disapproves of him. After a series of events, Richard is forced to be Susan’s chaperone, much to Richard’s chagrin. After a while, Margaret and Richard start to fall in love.
Production: In late 1946, David O. Selznick worked with RKO Radio Pictures on a comedy film project called “Suddenly It’s Spring” that would team Shirley Temple with Cary Grant, with its production overseen by Selznick. Temple, producer Dore Schary, and writer Sidney Sheldon were all employed by Selznick’s Vanguard Pictures and were loaned to RKO for the film. During production on the film the title was changed to The Bachelor and the Bobby-Soxer because Selznick thought that sounded more exciting and would entice audiences. This was one of Shirley Temple’s first film roles as an adult.
A week after filming started, director Irving Reis collapsed due to an illness and had to be temporarily replaced by producer Schary. When he returned to the production, Reis concentrated on the technical aspects of the film, while Schary focused on the actors, though Reis was the only one to receive a director’s credit. The Bachelor and the Bobby-Soxer was mostly shot at RKO Studios, with some on location shooting at Beverly Hills High School and in California suburban neighborhoods. The picnic scene may have been shot at Lake Arrowhead, CA (a common filming location at the time), but this has not been confirmed. During production it was rumored that Shirley Temple would drink alcohol in the film for the first time ever. As Temple had been an incredibly beloved child star, the Woman’s Christian Temperance Union thought that this would have a bad influence on Temple’s young fans and requested that RKO cut the scene. RKO agreed and Temple does not drink any alcohol in the finished film.
Fun Facts and Trivia: The Bachelor and the Bobby-Soxer was the second of three movies starring Cary Grant and Myrna Loy. The two had previously starred together in Wings in the Dark (1935) and later appeared in Mr. Blandings Builds His Dream House (1948). The film features a few inside joke references to Shirley Temple. When Richard is sitting with Susan in the soda shop, the waitress serves him a “Shirley Temple” drink. Later on in the film, when Susan plans on running away, she has a Shirley Temple Doll on her mantle, which she considers taking with her. Despite playing the titular “Bobby-Soxer”, Temple only wears bobby socks during the picnic scene. Cary Grant’s frequent exchange in the film, which starts with “You remind me of a man.” “What man?”… is referenced by David Bowie in the film Labyrinth (1986). The full exchange is included as part of the “Magic Dance” song, but with some of the words changed to better reflect Labyrinth‘s plot.
Reception: The Bachelor and the Bobby-Soxer received positive reviews from critics when it was released. For example, the critic at The New York Times thought that the film was funny and likeable and praised the main cast members. The film was also popular with audiences. It was one of the top ten highest grossing films of the year and made a profit for RKO.
On June 13, 1949 Cary Grant and Shirley Temple reprised their roles for a Lux Radio Theatre adaptation of the film. Johnny Sands (Jerry) also reprised his role from the film for the broadcast. In 2000, The Bachelor and the Bobby-Soxer was one of the 500 films nominated for the American Film Institute’s list of the top 100 funniest American Movies. However, the film did not make the top 100.
Oscars: The Bachelor and the Bobby-Soxer was only nominated for one Academy Award, Best Original Screenplay (Sidney Sheldon). Sheldon won the Oscar for his screenplay.
Why You Should See It: While it is not as well known as some Screwball Comedies of the era, The Bachelor and the Bobby-Soxer is a very funny film with a good cast. Cary Grant does a good job of comedically working off the other actors, one scene where this is especially evident is the when his date with Myrna Loy is interrupted by most of the main characters in the film, and everyone ends up mad at him. The Bachelor and the Bobby-Soxer is also recommended to those who are interested in Shirley Temple’s short film career as an adult.