THE IMPATIENT YEARS (1944)

The rare female writer/producer in ‘40s Hollywood (including GILDA/’46 as producer only), Virginia Van Upp was rarer still bringing female perspective to her work, as in this original script on a warp-speed wartime marriage gone sour.  A year-and-a-half's separation removed from the four-day whirlwind courtship/wedding/honeymoon, Jean Arthur & Lee Bowman find little in common other than the toddler she’s been raising in his absence with mooning male border Phil Brown and dear old Dad Charles Coburn.  Sentenced to replay their 4-day courtship before being granted a divorce, they reignite in bumps & starts.  A bit sticky here & there, with that forced/awkward quality familiar from many a ‘40s comedy, it finds its feet as it goes along in some very funny set pieces (a misunderstanding at a lunch counter a small comic gem) and in some nice touches of legit sentiment (visiting the couple who married them).  Second lead Bowman stepped up to play disillusioned husband (better when the film takes a sober turn*) while Arthur only needs to soften up her look a bit to get every last drop of humor & emotion out of the script.   Vet megger Irving Cummings’ direction best descibed as uneventful, but lighting cameraman Joseph Walker, an Arthur specialist, has her best side glowing in some last reel portrait shots.  Arthur’s adieu to Columbia as a contract player (she’d only make two more films total*).  It's small potatoes, but darn nice in its way.

ATTENTION MUST BE PAID: *Bowman an obvious second choice to Joel McCrea who turned this down after his big hit with Arthur & Coburn in THE MORE THE MERRIER/’43 (far more admired/now looking a bit overrated).

SCREWY THOUGHT OF THE DAY: *You have to wonder how much age played into Arthur’s crushing self-critical doubt and semi-retirement.  Born in 1900, she tended to play (and look) 15 years younger than she was.

DOUBLE-BILL: A decade later, Judy Holliday, Columbia’s new warm-hearted/quirky-voiced blonde comedian was sent on a similar flashback journey by a divorce judge in THE MARRYING KIND/’52.