Love Nest concerns the struggles of a young couple to keep the brownstone they own in shape and their tenants happy. June Haver bought the building as an investment with what was probably William Lundigan's separation pay. They've got an interesting group of tenants among them Frank Fay a gentleman of leisure who doesn't work but seems to be well fixed. That's because he's a conman who fleeces little old ladies, but he's actually fallen for Leatrice Joy of the silent screen era who is also a tenant.Another tenant is Marilyn Monroe who knew Lundigan in the service when she was a WAC. June Haver notices, but Jack Paar a lawyer friend of their's also notices Marilyn.Love Nest is a slight amusing comedy. But the thing that gets me is that for all their troubles that Brownstone in NYC especially Manhattan is probably worth a small fortune for the grandchildren of Lundigan and Haver. Hope they hung on to it.

We have the 2 knockout blondes most likely to succeed the aging Betty Grable as the queen of Fox musical comedies, although this is just a moderate comedy without the music. Although they were the same age, June Haver had been groomed since 1945 for this eventual role, whereas Marilyn Monroe was still taking bit parts to test her audience appeal. However, the tables would soon turn, as June was getting weary of the Hollywood scene, and Fox would start putting Marilyn in some lead roles where her sexy screen persona would be emphasized. I definitely prefer June's earthy girl-next-door characterization in this and other films, in contrast to Marylyn's more aloof goddess screen persona. There are 2 main male characters, one played by tall, handsome, smooth-talking William Lundigan, who plays June's husband, freshly arrived in NYC from his post-war army assignment in France. He's very surprised to find that his wife had used the money he sent home for a down payment on a decaying brownstone row house, which she had fixed up to provide a number of apartments or rooms for rent. Continued furnishing and repair bills threaten to cause them to lose their house. They can do some of it, but need specialists for some problems. The code-enforced need to redo their electrical wiring will cost them more than they can muster up or borrow. So, they decide they'll have to sell their house at a loss, since June paid too much for it.Along comes Charley, one of their tenants, who offers to loan them the $800. needed to fix the wiring. They accept. However, before they can spend it, Charley is arrested for bilking quite a few lonely wealthy widows out of their savings. Does Charley consider himself a most wanted sleazy con man? Certainly not! He's just performing a service for an unspecified fee. He even occasionally romances poor lonely widows, such as Eadie, in the same apartment complex, using the money he stole from wealthy widows. He sometimes helps those in need, including impoverished landlords. He's sort of a Robin Hood, he thinks. Unfortunately, the local police and FBI don't see it that way. Lundigan also temporarily lands in the same jail cell as Charley, suspected of being Charley's accomplice. Charley suggests that Lundigan write up his life story as a potential best seller(Lundigan's ambition is to be a writer). Well, this idea works out and the couple use some of the royalties to further fix up their house. Unclear how they survived the wiring problem, and how Charley made a living after he married Eadie when he got out of jail. Perhaps some of royalties from the book?Two minor characters are played by Jack Parr and Marilyn. Parr was attracted by Marilyn who, as Bobbie, was a WAC friend of Lundigan in France, and has come to live in one of his apartments while modeling. Their characters aren't really essential to the plot. However, Marilyn serves as another worry for June, and another knockout blonde to keep the boys' attention.Lundigan and June appear to have great chemistry. They had costarred the year before in the musical "I'll Get By". The present film is unusual in June's film career in not being a musical: she having singing and dancing talent. I believe it's also the only film she was in that was filmed in B&W rather than Technicolor. Speaking of music, the song "Love Nest" was composed for this film, being heard during the opening credits and a little at the end.This was the last film appearance of both Frank Fay, as Charley, and Leatrice Joy, as Eadie. Fay had been very popular on the vaudeville circuit.This film is available as part of the 17 DVD Marilyn Premiere Collection. No doubt, if Marilyn hadn't been in the picture, it wouldn't be available as a DVD. The optional commentary is basically a film biography of the director, plus a biography and psychoanalysis of Marilyn, barely mentioning the lead actors nor anything about this film. For shame!As an impoverished petty landlord myself, I can strongly identify with the problems of this couple. I've needed an "Uncle Charley" a few times to avoid losing the house.

I found this one on the "Movies!" channel, released in 1951, in glorious black and white, but set in immediate post-WW2 1946. This is primarily a romantic comedy with 1950s sensibilities.June Haver is Connie Scott, her husband has been gone for 2 1/2 years, fighting in WW2. Her husband is William Lundigan as Jim Scott. He has been sending money home as he is able, she has been saving it, so they could start their "love nest" when the war ended.Jim comes home a few days early to surprise Connie, but the surprise is on him. She used the money as a down payment to buy a multi-floor house in the city, they would live in one section and rent out the other units. The income from the rentals would pay for their mortgage, and Jim could settle in to his writing career.The problem turns out the building was not in very good shape, inspectors required the electrical wiring to be redone, the building shook every time the fire truck passed in the street, and the tenants had ongoing plumbing problems that needed to be addressed. Plus, it turns out the "good deal" Connie got was about $5000 more than it was worth, and that was a big sum in 1946.A colorful side story is added by Frank Fay as Charley Patterson, one of the new tenants. Charlie is quite the charmer, but as his whole story unfolds he is wanted by the FBI as a bigamist who cheats gullible old widows out of their money.In a minor, but important, supporting role just a few years before her big movies, Marilyn Monroe is Bobbie Stevens, a WAC that fought with Jim overseas. She returns to the city and needs a place to rent. Her being a tenant creates some jealousy, but also offers a romantic interest for Jack Paar as Ed Forbes, a friend of Jim's.Overall a very pleasant, enjoyable movie.SPOILERS: The law finally catches up with Charlie right after he marries one of the nice ladies who also is a tenant. But Charlie says he is reformed, he is now a one-woman man, and serves 18 months in jail, but also collaborates with Jim as the author, they write a best-selling book of Charlie's adventures, splitting the profits, which gives Jim and Connie the cash to make their place into the love nest they wanted.

A convivial 'feel-good ,optimistic' film.'Love Nest' makes you wish you could book-in to that brownstone building c.1951 for some immediate soul revival.Incongruously;the soundtrack contains humming acappella harmonising that confirms to you;it's 'a cinematic treat'.It's 1946:June Haver has invested every last dime in a New York apartment block,hubby William Lundigan returns to a mayhem of repair bills & squabbling tenants.Marilyn Monroe;his ex-army buddy infuriates his jealous wife & Frank Fay is a 'Gentleman Lothario con-man' operating from his apartment rooms.The incidental characters are impressionable.It's a recap of 'old style' values;whence one time.Utterly nostalgic.A DVD I can watch again & again.I can't decide if this is a 'June Haver' star vehicle or a 'Marilyn Monroe' star vehicle?.Hence:two for the price of one!.