Those Endearing Young Charms *** (1945, Robert Young, Laraine Day, Bill Williams, Ann Harding) – Classic Movie Review 12,696

RKO Pictures’ endearing 1945 wartime romantic comedy film Those Endearing Young Charms stars Robert Young, Laraine Day, Bill Williams, and Ann Harding.

Director Lewis Allen’s 1945 RKO American comedy romance film Those Endearing Young Charms stars Robert Young, Laraine Day, Bill Williams, and Ann Harding.

Shopgirl Helen Brandt (Day) is torn between down-to-earth air corps mechanic, US army private Jerry (Williams), and his smarmy officer pal, Lieutenant Hank Travers (Young), in this endearing wartime romantic comedy with bright playing and witty lines.

The fairly routine and familiar plot is lifted by adroit handling in all departments. All three main stars are spot on and Harding scores too as Day’s wise mom.

It was shot from early January to-mid-February 1945 and released on June 19, 1945, making a healthy profit of $644,000 for RKO Pictures.

Jerome Chodorov’s screenplay is based on Edward Chodorov’s play.

RKO bought the rights to the play for Laraine Day to star in her first leading role and borrowed Robert Young from MGM as co-star.

Jerome is the brother of playwright/ screenwriter Edward Chodorov. Jerome won two Tony Awards with collaborator Joseph Fields in 1953 for Wonderful Town.

Edward Chodorov was blacklisted by the Hollywood studios after being named as a Communist Party member by choreographer Jerome Robbins in 1953.

The cast are Robert Young as Lieutenant Hank Travers, Laraine Day as Helen Brandt, Ann Harding as Mrs Brandt, Bill Williams as Jerry, Marc Cramer as Captain Larry Stowe, Anne Jeffreys as Suzibelle, Glen Vernon as Radioman 1st Class William Zantifar, Norma Varden as Mrs Woods, Lawrence Tierney as Lieutenant Ted Brewster, and Vera Marshe as Dot.

© Derek Winnert 2023 – Classic Movie Review 12,696

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