IT HAD TO BE YOU is an imaginative fantasy/comedy, but by 1947 the era of screwball was pretty much finished. Its comedy is real but forced, not least in the hyperactive performance given by Ginger Rogers, almost as if she didn't have confidence that the material could play without a serious push. But fantasy requires a lighter touch than it got from Rogers in this movie. Cornel Wilde's performance isn't exactly understated either, but it remains controlled and effective, and surprisingly, he seems to have had more of a flair for farce than he had for the adventure flicks that filled his career.His George McKesson is certainly an unusual character. Something of a guardian angel for Ginger's Vicki, George appears not as a disembodied spirit but as a physical man, and in the image of her subconscious 'true love' who turns out to be a fireman, also played by Wilde. This is an angel who doesn't know exactly why he's been sent to earth (beyond helping Victoria, of course), and has to discover the secret right along with her. He isn't much of a help in this regard, merely serving as an embarrassment to her as he comes between Vicki and her latest false fiancée. Ultimately, George would seem to be more of a plot device than anything else, but that's fair enough, the movie has no pretension to being anything more than an amusement, and it amuses tolerably well.Did Wilde ever have another chance to do comedy? If not, it's a pity. As for Ginger, IT HAD TO BE YOU is something of a milestone in her career. This is the last time she played a character noticeably younger than her actual age (a common occurrence up to this point. MONKEY BUSINESS is kinda, sorta an exception). 1948 would be the first year since 1928 in which she would not make any films at all (an unfortunate contract signed with a fledgling studio would be the cause of that delay). When she returned in THE BARKLEYS OF BROADWAY she played a mature wife, and it would be mature characters for the rest of her career. And it would be a different Hollywood. The Classic Period was already slipping away, and it slipped away a lot faster for its aging female figures, particularly those who weren't the type to play human grotesques. Maybe that's the reason she seemed so uncharacteristically frantic in IT HAD TO BE YOU. She sensed that time was beginning to run out. Happily, she would have a long and graceful denouement.

I reviewed this around the Valentine's month for 2011. Notice it was coming on wee hours of the morning and set recorder to do so. I had never seen the movie – didn't know it existed, yet found it interesting after reviewing the recording. There was something about the write-up that made me think it would be interesting. I was thinking of Runaway Bride - but only thing they shares is that the bride did runaway. After that, the movies are different as it has fantasy and reality both in the plot. I think we need a tip for watching and enjoying the movie: The tip is to not to try to guess where the movie is going but relax and know it does have a happy ending. Enjoy how you get there.I did some Google's and research for what inspired the song to the title of the move: It Had to be You. I found it was inspired by song writer Gus Kahn's wife Grace. Also there is a movie slightly about their life story together in: I'll See You in My Dreams" Interesting points – Both of the movies were done after the death of Gus Kahn who passed in 1941. There are some interesting/clean dreams in the movie that add to the story.In It had to be You, I think they put some of Ginger Roger's life attributes in the movie - she fished and did sculpting/art though she never sold the art and kept for herself. Cornel Wilde was an acrobatic and plays dual role of both the as he calls himself in the movie Hot Indian and a fireman. Not sure if he did his own stunts, yet it sort of looked that way. He plays both roles differently too: the Indian is more outgoing and the fireman is a little reserved. I read Cornel's online biography and it seems he liked to see how he would play a character and he may have given those to interpretations/mindsets for the roles.After you get over where was the movie going and trying guess ahead based on prior movies you may have seen: the movie becomes interesting the way it came together. The ending appears as if they are out of time and need to end it. Even the music suggests such; but it's OK - as it's a happy ending!

GINGER ROGERS plays another one of her fluttery sapheads with a little girl voice and manner that becomes irritating after the first ten minutes. She's caught in a script full of trouble--because none of it makes a good deal of sense. Supposedly, her crush as a girl on a boy who played Indian games with her, has her fantasizing that this boy--now a man in her dreams--is the one she was destined to marry.So, in a prologue to the nonsense, she shows up at the altar several times with a man she cannot exchange the wedding vows with--even up until the ending where she and RON RANDELL are about to be wed.It's tiresome stuff, but is somewhat salvaged by a couple of bright performances from CORNEL WILDE as the Indian incarnation (in her dreams) and RON RANDELL as the stuffy suitor who has the best command of all the comic lines and situations. Indeed, it's Randell who gives the most polished, professional job in the whole film. And CORNEL WILDE, in a dual role as the Indian and the fireman Ginger eventually meets, lends charm and physical presence to his part.SPRING BYINGTON is properly befuddled (as usual) as Rogers' dithery mother but the whole story fizzles long before it reaches a rather predictable ending.Ginger mugs her way through most of it but it's her little girl voice that is the most irritating factor in her portrayal of the daffy heroine.

I also saw this movie "It Had To be You" when I was 8 or 9 .... I would love to see it again .... does anyone know if it is available? I tried Turner Classic Movies and did not get a hit .... are there any archives that one might be able to look into? .... one of the things I remember vividly is that there was an Indian in the movie, looked like Tonto from the Lone Ranger, and seem to remember a staircase and a train ..... interestingly enough I saw this movie on a ship when my family was going back to South America on one of the "Grace" line ships, the "Santa Isabel" of course at the time there was no movie room on the ship but it was shown on a screen hung probably on the stern of the ship and we sat on chairs on the deck. I would like to add that after I wrote the above comment, I did find a DVD in England. Comes in the European format so you need a player or PC that has that option. Have to say that it was great to be able to see watch it again.