Disturbing yet enthralling

A Major Disappointment

The biggest problem with this movie is it’s a little better than you think it might be, which somehow makes it worse. As in, it takes itself a bit too seriously, which makes most of the movie feel kind of dull.

I enjoyed watching this film and would recommend other to give it a try , (as I am) but this movie, although enjoyable to watch due to the better than average acting fails to add anything new to its storyline that is all too familiar to these types of movies.

The film is pretty funny. I really like the old man. I can't imagine living in that era where vacancies are so hard to find, and women flirt with a man without any shame, trying so hard to get his attention. That was 1943, and how about now? Are men getting fewer and fewer? Btw, I think Jean Arthur's voice is so similar to Alicia Silverstone in Clueless. So cute, sweet and funny.

This superior romantic comedy features Charles Coburn and Joel McCrea as short-stay transients in wartime Washington, D.C., looking for a place to bed down for about a week. Jean Arthur is a working resident looking for a roommate to help pay the rent , while doing a bit to relieve the severe housing shortage in the nation's capital, due to the influx of people to work in the offices and plants relating to the war. Joan put an ad in the paper, but failed to specify that she was looking for a female. Hence, she was shocked when Coburn showed up, having tricked the many other hopefuls into believing the position was taken. At first, Jean was adamant that she would not tolerate a man as a roommate, even an old grandfatherly-looking one. But Coburn blustered and bullied his way in to her spare room. He would soon get an earful of her mandatory wakeup routine, from 7 to 7.30, each morning. One of the comedic highlights of the film has Coburn trying to conform to her schedule......While Jean is at work, Coburn takes it upon himself to sublet half of his room to another street wander: McCrea. Some humor results from McCrea getting used to his new abode. Again, Jean is shocked that she has an additional male roommate, even if only for perhaps a week......In the morning, Coburn talks to a committee about the need for new housing, even if just temporary. Later, Coburn finds and reads the last part of Jean's diary, especially, her first impressions of McCrea. When she catches him reading, she goes through the roof, then goes to her room, and cries. She orders them to leave by morning. Coburn has a pre-arranged hotel room, so he's not too disturbed, but McCrea has only another 2 days before he leaves for Africa. Thus, she relents and allows him to stay those days. Well, as you can guess, romance eventually enters the picture. But there's a problem: Jean is engaged to a Mr. Pendergast. See the film to find out how things turn out......The most fun part of the film is the first part, where Coburn and Jean much interact. But, the last part isn't excessively dull. only in comparison....See it on YouTube

The war-time influx of people Into Washington, D.C., had created a major housing shortage by 1943. As a patriotic gesture Connie (Jean Arthur) advertises a spare room in her apartment. Benjamin Dingle (Charles Coburn), a dignified senior citizen with an appointment with a Senator, has arrived in Washington 2 days early for his hotel reservation. There are no vacancies anywhere. But he spots Connie's ad and boldly tricks the line of other people who answered the ad to leave. Then he talks Connie into subletting half the apartment to him even though she intended to only accept a lady tenant. He then rents half of his half to Joe Carter (the ruggedly handsome Joel McCrea) without telling Connie about it. That is the premise of this situation comedy.I watched this on TCM and think it may have been an abridged version. In one instance the scene switched from the main characters inside the apartment to everyone (not just the main characters but many extras who I suppose were meant to be other residents of the apartment building) enjoining the sun on the roof-top. Also, there possibly was some earlier scene introducing the relationship between Connie and her teenage friend, Morton. In the TCM version there is no set up for the scene where Connie advises Morton to join the Boy Scouts. Morton's character is odd because he talks in the manner of a New York street kid, whereas D.C. at the time was still very much a southern town. Still, the story was not difficult to follow. But in the nearly 70 years since this was an original concept, this kind of story has been copied and adapted into so many comedies that it now seems stale and predictable. Academy Award nominations and winners, particularly in the studio years, have often seem to be based on popularity or advertising, not strictly merit. Charles Coburn won the 16th Academy Awards Best Supporting Oscar for this film, beating (among others) Claude Raines in Casablanca. Inexplicable.

The scene with Jean Arthur and Joel McCrea on the steps of the apartment is more erotic than anything you will see in an "R" rated film today, or probably even an NC-17 film. The desire that they have for each other, and are barely suppressing, is overwhelming. And the lingerie she wears in the last scene is surprisingly suggestive for 1943. This whole film is an amazing piece of work. Much credit goes to legendary director George Stevens. Charles Coburn was always great, but who knew he had the comic chops he shows here? Jean Arthur's voice alone makes her one of sexiest actresses ever in films. She and Joel McCrea are both terribly underrated. This film deserves to be much better known than it is.