When looking back on the career of director Billy Wilder the
list of films he made were amazing. But in discussing his work few look back
and the first film he directed on his own, instead noting the film noir films
and comedies he made later in his career. That first film, THE MAJOR AND THE
MINOR, was co-written by long-time collaborator Charles Brackett and the pair
have come up with an entertaining and hilarious film.
Ginger Rogers stars as Susan Applegate, a disillusioned
young woman who moved to New York City with high hopes only to discover she
couldn’t attain them. After refusing the attentions of a man she’s come to sell
a vacuum to but who has more amorous intentions, she decides to return home. At
the train station she learns that they’ve raised the prices and she doesn’t
have enough money to board the train. But, a child’s fair would leave her with
enough money for a ticket with a little left over.
Changing her clothes and donning pigtails, Susan passes
herself off as a child and boards the train. As it moves along two conductors
question her about her age and she runs, only to end up in the compartment of
Major Philip Kirby (Ray Milland). Kirby buys her story of being a child and
thinking she’s frightened allows her to stay in his compartment for the night.
The train is prevented from reaching its destination in time
due to a flood so Kirby’s fiancé Pamela (Rita Johnson) decides to drive to the
next station back to meet him. When she boards the train and finds his
compartment, she also finds Susan and storms off without an explanation. She
heads back to the military school where Kirby teaches and that her father is in
charge of.
The train does finally arrive and taking Susan with him,
Kirby explains the situation, insisting that Susan stay with them there until
her mother can her parents can retrieve her. She stays at Pamela’s house,
sharing a room with her sister. But that sister, Lucy (Dianna Lynn) is smarter
than the rest of the adults and knows immediately that Susan is anything but 12
years old. She doesn’t turn her in though, hoping she’ll help her save Kirby
from the clutches of her own sister.
It seems that Kirby wants to serve in the military like he
should and has been trying to be assigned to the Washington, D.C. area. But
Pamela has used her connections to prevent this from happening. Now Susan and
Lucy must do what they can to allow Kirby to achieve his own goals.
To add humor to the mix, Kirby keeps trying to pass Susan
off to the young cadets at the school. Each one of them uses the same tried and
true line to impress her and the same moves to kiss her as well. Being older
and more experienced Susan easily avoids their advances. And as she watches and
tries to help Kirby she can’t help but find herself falling in love with him.
The movie is an entertaining screwball comedy the likes of
which graced the screens often in the 30s and 40s and Wilder’s deft handling of
the story is on display here having been done perfectly. The unusual
circumstances on hand here, an adult male (Kirby) falling for a 12 year old
(Susan) isn’t treated as odd or twisted but instead as if you know deep down he
realizes she can’t be 12. And Susan’s interaction with young boys far below her
age is handled with ease as well.
The acting here is wonderful, especially from Rogers in the
lead. While most remember her as the dancing partner of Fred Astaire, she was
an actress who handled her roles with perfection and this is one great example
of that. Milland also turns in a notable performance as the bumbling officer
who eventually finds the reality of what he wants in life.
Arrow Video is releasing this as part of their Arrow Academy
series, films of historical note that have been ignored or forgotten by the
studios that made them. They’re offering the film in a glorious hi def
presentation from original film elements and the movie looks great. In addition
to that they’re including several interesting extras as well. Those include a
new audio commentary track by film scholar Adrian Martin, “Half Fare Please!” a
newly filmed video appreciation by film critic Neil Sinyard, an archival
interview with Ray Milland, a rare hour-long radio adaptation from 1943
starring Rogers and Milland, an image gallery, the original trailer, a
reversible sleeve with original and new artwork and for the first pressing only
a collector’s booklet with an essay by Ronald Bergan.
I’ve yet to find anything Arrow has released that wasn’t
worth adding to the movie fan’s collections. This is just another example of
the loving care they’ve taken with movies that deserve saving. My suggestion
for movie fans, especially those of Wilder, screwball comedies and films of
this time period, is to make a point of adding this one to your collection today.
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