At first rather annoying in its heavy emphasis on reenactments, this movie ultimately proves fascinating, simply because the complicated, highly dramatic tale it tells still almost defies belief.

The movie really just wants to entertain people.

It's a movie as timely as it is provocative and amazingly, for much of its running time, it is weirdly funny.

An old-fashioned movie made with new-fashioned finesse.

This film could have been hilarious, especially with Guy Kibbee and Virginia Weidler stealing the show as the father and sister to Ann Rutherford, recently wed in the film to the dashing Robert Sterling.Instead of tackling the major theme of the film, a father-in-law's interference in the business that he takes the son-in-law in, we're subjected to other subplots about hats, frivolous arguments, and a young girl trying to impress another sister's beau.The film does get better when it concentrates on the theme stated above. However, it's the process of getting to that theme that steers the film off.Kibbeed could have been a seer and his wife the real knowledgeable one. Weidler, as the youngest daughter, acts like a tom-boy like character and Ann Rutherford could have wished for that small part back in "Gone With the Wind," as Scarlett O'Hara's sister.

Much like a B-movie version of the Andy Hardy series (unless, of course, one deems that a B movie series), this follow-up comedy drama (using some of the same actors if not the same surnamed characters) to the Herman J. Mankiewicz story Keeping Company (1940) "feels" much like an hour long (1950's era, e.g. unsophisticated) syndicated television family sitcom.It was directed by Charles Reisner, with a screenplay from Muriel Roy Bolton, Rian James, and Harry Ruskin (who was a contributing writer on three of the Hardy series films). Ann Rutherford (also from the Hardy series), Irene Rich, and Virginia Weidler appear. The cast in this one also includes Robert Sterling, Guy Kibbee, Henry O'Neill, and Connie Gilchrist, among others. Ava Gardner is said to play the uncredited girl who appears in the car next to Sterling's character at the drive-in.When his newlywed wife Kit (Rutherford) must travel out-of-town to be a bridesmaid in another wedding, Lee White (Sterling) finally gets some time alone, but finds that a night on the town with his old buddy (who is now married with children) is not to be had. His friendly and knowing father-in-law Harry Bryant (Kibbee) drops by and offers Lee the chance to stay with his family while his daughter's away. Lee accepts, whereupon he receives hotel guest-like treatment from his in-laws: good food, a newspaper in the morning, and no other (clean up) responsibilities.Rich plays Lee's mother-in-law, Weidler his kid sister-in-law Harriett (responsible for the film's comic relief). Lee shows his appreciation to amiable Harry by finally accepting his father-in- law's offer to become a partner in his real estate firm, in lieu of continuing to sell used cars. He'd been apprehensive at first, believing that he should make it on his own.Soon after he starts working for Harry, Lee regrets his decision because his father-in-law micro-manages at every opportunity. This not only frustrates Lee, but their secretary Miss Nichols (Gilchrist) as well. Naturally, Kit can't understand Lee's attitude, believing her kindly well meaning father to be a saint and her husband ungrateful, nor can Lee adequately express his feelings to his father-in-law in the matter. For his part, Harry can't keep from interfering in Lee's business affairs, ruining his son-in-law's first big potential deal with candy maker Arthur Freeman (O'Neill).There are several frustrating (for this viewer) interactions between the principal characters, where misunderstandings, poor communications, and frayed emotions dominate the proceeding. A dinner at the White's home for Mr. Freeman in which Kit's health food meal is switched for her mother's pot roast is too contrived, setting up a line later spoken by O'Neill's character (e.g. regarding too many cooks in the kitchen). There's even a third daughter Edith, played by Dorothy Morris, whose boyfriend Eustance (Richard Crane) gets more screen-time than she does in a less than humorous subplot involving Harriett, who calls him "Useless". Plus, by now, Weidler seems too old for her character who's much more advanced (and, at sixteen, certainly much taller) than her 12 year old playmate Milton Jones (Joe Strauch Jr.).The most entertaining scenes, however, are those in which Kibbee's character finds himself muttering "you'll never catch a child of mine doing something like that" when, of course, unbeknownst to him it's his daughter Harriett (Weidler) that's the target of his comment. At an evening trivia contest, Harriett wins some soap in lieu of the $10 she needs to impress Useless. In the end, the "tried and true" masquerade ball plot device is employed to enable one character to unknowingly say their peace to another that needs to hear it (e.g. Lee to Harry), and O'Neill's character has another scene as well. Naturally, everything works out for the best.

MGM may have been trying out a new family series like the Hardys when it came out with This Time For Keeps. I certainly could have seen Guy Kibbee and Irene Rich as the patriarch and matriarch of another wholesome all American family.Kibbee and Rich have two daughters, Ann Rutherford and Virginia Weidler. Rutherford is slightly beyond the newlywed stage married to Robert Sterling.Some trouble is brewing on the horizon. Kibbee likes his son-in-law well enough, in fact he always wanted a boy. He talks him into coming into the family real estate business, but Sterling does it against his better judgment. He likes Kibbee also, but when he goes to work for him, Sterling finds Kibbee smothering any initiative he takes.As for Weidler she's going through her teen age angst especially around young Richard Crane. All these problems naturally get resolved in the end. This Time For Keeps is a pleasant enough family film which didn't embarrass anyone at MGM's B picture unit. And I'm sure it played well enough with any of MGM's featured products. Look quickly for a small bit by Ava Gardner and for me the hit of the film was seeing Richard Crane, the future Rocky Jones Space Ranger decked out as a ballerina at a costume party.

"This Time For Keeps" is a pleasant little film, but it also is pretty forgettable--more like an episode of a 1950s TV sitcom than a traditional movie. Unlike a TV show, however, the film meanders very slowly to the conclusion--taking a very leisurely pace that is nice but far from exciting.The film begins with a young married couple. The wife (Ann Rutherford) is going away for a few days and her husband (Robert Sterling) plans on living it up while she's gone. However, his fun is very short-lived as he's hopelessly married and lost without her. In the interim, her family takes him under wing--inviting him to stay with them. This also allows him to get closer to his nice-guy father-in-law (Guy Kibbee). Things end up going so well between the the men that Kibbee offers to have the young man go into business with him. They sure have become a lot closer, but Kibbee is also unintentionally smothering Sterling--and Sterling only wants a chance to make good. Eventually, his efforts to create a niche for himself in the business ends up leading to tension with his wife...and his father-in-law is oblivious to this. Can this all be worked out for a happy ending? Tune in and see if you are looking for a breezy time-passer.This film is not objectionable at all, but it also is pretty shallow and forgettable. My advice is to see it by all means if you love old films and have some spare time. However, if this isn't the case, pick another film--one with a bit more meat to it.