The Bachelor and the Bobby-Soxer (1947)

Overview

The Bachelor and the Bobby-Soxer is a feather-light, fizzy screwball comedy that rides on charm, timing, and the playful chemistry between its trio of stars—Cary Grant, Myrna Loy, and a teenage Shirley Temple transitioning into more grown-up roles. Directed by Irving Reis and penned by future novelist and television magnate Sidney Sheldon, the film is brisk, amusing, and as cleverly constructed as a classic 1940s farce.

This is one of those post-war comedies that sought to re-establish a sense of domestic normalcy while satirizing generational differences, romantic conventions, and societal roles. While it doesn’t reach the screwball heights of His Girl Friday or Bringing Up Baby, it offers a unique premise and polished performances that still make it a pleasure to revisit.

Plot Summary

Richard Nugent (Cary Grant) is a suave, slightly jaded bachelor and artist who is brought into a courtroom for causing a minor disturbance at a nightclub. The judge overseeing his case is the composed and highly respected Margaret Turner (Myrna Loy), who initially dismisses him with a warning.

Enter Susan Turner (Shirley Temple), Margaret’s 17-year-old sister and a high-spirited high school student with a flair for dramatics. After hearing Nugent speak at her school about art and culture, Susan develops an instant, all-consuming schoolgirl crush on him and decides he’s the man of her dreams.

When Susan sneaks into his apartment the next morning—clad in full teen-heroine fantasy mode—Nugent is promptly arrested, and Margaret must intervene to save his reputation. At the advice of a court psychiatrist (played by Ray Collins), Margaret agrees to let Richard “date” Susan under supervision until her infatuation burns out. What follows is a string of comic misunderstandings, a blossoming romance between Richard and Margaret, and a light satire of teen culture, romantic tropes, and the battle of the sexes.

Performances

Cary Grant is at the peak of his screwball powers here. His performance is laced with bemused exasperation, slick timing, and subtle charm. As the reluctant "bachelor" caught between a teenage admirer and her no-nonsense older sister, Grant walks a delicate line—never creepy, always classy. He plays flustered elegance like no one else.

Myrna Loy, the epitome of brains and poise, delivers her role with understated comic brilliance. Her chemistry with Grant feels effortless, and while she plays the “straight woman” to the absurdity swirling around her, she’s no less witty or engaging.

Shirley Temple, then 18, was in a transitional phase from child star to adult actress. As the precocious Susan, she brings warmth and spirited humour to a role that could’ve easily been grating. She nails the teen melodrama, exuding equal parts mischief and sincerity, and her dynamic with both Grant and Loy adds an endearing layer to the film.

Rudy Vallée, as Margaret’s uptight suitor Tommy, is a perfect comedic foil. He’s stiff, jealous, and pompous, but in a way that invites laughs rather than disdain.

Direction and Style

Irving Reis, best known for films like The Big Street and All My Sons, directs with a light touch, keeping the energy breezy and the pacing brisk. His work is clean, unobtrusive, and lets the script and performances shine.

The film’s visual style is functional but effective. It makes excellent use of domestic spaces—courts, living rooms, school auditoriums—to reinforce the film’s themes of social order, family structure, and generational tension. The direction is sharp enough to land the gags and soft enough to allow the romantic beats to play without feeling forced.

Screenplay

Sidney Sheldon’s screenplay is perhaps the film’s greatest asset. It won the Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay, and justifiably so. The dialogue sparkles with classic 1940s wit, managing to be both sophisticated and screwball in equal measure.

The script cleverly plays with tropes—the teen crush, the bachelor commitment-phobe, the no-nonsense career woman—and flips them on their heads. It's a satirical portrait of post war American values, with laughs stemming from the collision of highbrow and lowbrow, adult responsibility and adolescent fantasy.

Best of all, the script never vilifies its characters. Susan's teenage crush, for instance, is not treated with cruelty or ridicule but rather affectionate humour. Likewise, Richard’s exasperation never descends into meanness. The film succeeds because it walks this line so carefully.

Themes

Generational Tensions: At its heart, the film is a commentary on the wide cultural gap between the bobby-soxer youth culture and the more reserved adult world. It pokes fun at both, but also finds common ground.

Gender Roles & Romance: The film subverts traditional romantic trajectories by placing a man in the uncomfortable position of being pursued—first by a teenager and then reluctantly by a woman closer to his age. Margaret’s character represents the rising presence of professional women in post war America, asserting agency in both her work and her love life.

Identity & Maturity: Much of the story revolves around mistaken or misrepresented identities. Susan is pretending to be a grown-up; Richard is pretending he’s not interested in love; Margaret is pretending she doesn’t need anything beyond her courtroom. Each is confronted with their own illusions, leading to personal growth.

Public Image vs. Private Desire: The courtroom setting and legal structure serve as a symbol of societal norms and the pressure to maintain appearances. The characters’ private yearnings clash humorously with the roles they’re expected to play.

Legacy and Impact

While not as ground breaking or as often cited as some of its contemporaries, The Bachelor and the Bobby-Soxer has aged gracefully thanks to its irresistible cast and clever writing. It was a hit upon release and helped to reinforce Cary Grant’s reign as the king of romantic comedy while providing Shirley Temple a successful step toward more mature roles.

The film remains a shining example of the screwball genre in its late period, bridging the more anarchic pre-war comedies with the subtler, more domestic tone of post war romantic farces.

It’s also an early template for countless “fake relationship” rom-coms that would follow—from The Major and the Minor to While You Were Sleeping—making it a worthy watch for fans of the genre’s evolution.

Final Verdict

The Bachelor and the Bobby-Soxer is a delightful comedy of manners, misunderstandings, and magnetic personalities. While its premise borders on the implausible, it’s executed with such warmth, wit, and precision that you can’t help but be charmed.

Cary Grant is in peak form, Myrna Loy is elegance incarnate, and Shirley Temple proves she was more than just a curly-haired child star. With Sidney Sheldon’s Oscar-winning script at its core, this film is a breezy, joyful ride through romance, identity, and generational comedy.