The Major and the Minor (1942)

Directed by Billy Wilder; produced by Arthur Hornblow Jr

Susan Applegate (Ginger Rogers), tired of never getting higher than the bottom rung in New York, determines to go home to Iowa. But, almost broke, she can no longer afford the train fare. Seeing that a twelve year old has to pay only half-price, she decides to disguise herself as a child. She thinks she needs to maintain the disguise only for a couple of days – that is, until the train’s conductors suspect a scam and little ‘Susu’ falls under the protection of Major Philip Kirby (Ray Milland). Now, the charade must be kept up for the Major, his fiancée, their friends and an entire school of adoring boys. It doesn’t help that grown-up Susan starts to look at the Major as, well, a grown-up…

An absurd little plot stretched to farcical proportions, The Major and the Minor works – and works well – thanks to Rogers, aided and abetted by Milland, and several other performers. It’s an ironic fact that Rogers, going on thirty-one in 1942, wouldn’t fool many people in such a masquerade, yet the movie succeeds because of her. She handles situational and spoken comedy masterfully, and her ‘Susu’ provides laughs and insight as only an adult trying to live in a child’s world could.

There might have been a danger of the premise veering into distaste, with a handsome and – despite his impending marriage – eligible gentleman escorting a would-be twelve year old woman about the country. But Milland’s Kirby is just that: a gentleman, who throws himself entirely into the rôle of Susu’s protector, and perhaps taps into a latent desire to be a father, or at least an uncle. He finds delight in Susu’s childishness, and in watching over her.

Mention must be made of Diana Lynn, who plays Lucy, the younger sister of Kirby’s fiancée. She’s a precocious adolescent who tumbles to the truth about Susu – brought home as her temporary roommate – right away. Though clearly acting a little older than her age (sixteen at the time), the contrast between Lucy and Susu provides more evidence that the adults in the film should really just open their eyes.

Though the premise – and its maintenance throughout the film – appear to be farce, The Major and the Minor is a more realistic comedy than that, Rogers’s disguise being a device within the plot, rather than the driving force. The reactions of the school’s boys at having a pretty girl in their midst who is clearly – yet indefinitely – different than others their own age, are realistic; so are the motivations of the characters (eg. Kirby wants an active command due to what he feels to be the U.S.’s impending involvement in the world war.) The impetus of the comedy is silly, rather than the comedy itself.

This of course depends not just on the performances, but greatly upon the writing. The screenplay was co-written by director Wilder and Charles Brackett, who also wrote Sunset Blvd., Ninotchka and The Lost Weekend, among other movies. They manage to write adult lines that are inoffensive but funny, jokes about Hollywood for those who watch movies, and ludicrous situations that are perfectly plausible. They even give Rogers a realistic reason to dance. The screenplay reminded me of a less cynical Preston Struges script.

The direction – Wilder’s first American effort – is energetic and, despite Wilder’s relative novelty, shows expertise. He clearly had an affinity for certain actors, as he worked with several of them numerous times, and having co-written the script, knew exactly what the writers were trying to depict.

The Major and the Minor is an example of a screwball comedy that isn’t quite screwball, a farce that isn’t quite farcical, and a romance that is romantic despite having no conspicuous romance. In other words, The Major and the Minor is a success.