The music of the 1920's takes center stage in a non-musical comedy of growing up in small town America where a studious young girl deals with the romantic struggles of youth. Jeanne Crain is the epitome of comical awkwardness, sharing her story through flashback with her young daughter (Anne E. Todd) who comes across a pair of large bloomers while they are in the attic. The bloomers represent a funny reminder of Crain's past, and while they may look like just a hideous undergarment to her daughter, to Crain, they are the link to how she found romance with her husband and chose him over other admirers.Don't expect Esther Blodgett of "Meet Me in St. Louis" here in Crain's characterization. She's a bit of a geek, the star debater of the school's debate team, and rather shy with the boys who are interested in her. Among them are Alan Young (long before "Mr. Ed") and Conrad Janis (long before "Mork and Mindy"), and when she meets handsome teacher Glenn Langdan, Crain is instantly gaga over him. There's some question to her parental background: she lives with her former suffragette grandmother (a delightful Esther Dale) while her father (Hobart Cavanaugh) lives separately, working for the local mortician. Crain's bashful girl shines briefly on the ice skating rink, even outshining the school's most popular girl (a perky Barbara Lawrence) who has just done some fabulous Sonia Henie moves while on the rink. But as happens later at the school prom, fate takes over, and Crain faces possible humiliation when the unthinkable (at least for a proper young lady in the 1920's) happens.Snippets of some very popular 20's songs are heard, most notably the title song written for the character's wedding, played on a 78 RPM while Crain and her daughter are in the attic, and the beautiful "April Showers". Lawrence gets to warble the amusing "Coffee, a Sandwich, and You". The music doesn't overwhelm the film's plot, so it is inconsequential to the goings on. Hattie McDaniel, in one of her later roles, has a few nice moments as the housekeeper, but she doesn't really get much to do. As America headed out of World War II and into a very cynical future, films like this became rarer and rarer, so historically, they are very memorable as a part of the tougher times. The color photography is beautiful and every other technical detail is impressive as well.

Where to begin, when you're talking about a movie you love? "Margie" has been called one of Jeanne Crain's best films. She is going through some old stuff in the attic with her daughter, when they start talking about the flapper days of the 1920s when she was young. We then see, by way of a flashback, Margie's world brought vividly to life. It seems Margie's mother died when she was young and her father gave her to her grandmother to raise. He is an undertaker, or rather a mortician. Everything is so dramatic to a girl her age, and it's perfectly dreadful to be the daughter of the town undertaker. Why couldn't he have been a plumber? Then, she has a problem with keeping up her bloomers. Barbara Lawrence, Conrad Janis, and Alan Young are her classmates and friends, which brings to life the mind frame of the time period. Then, there's an new teacher, a French teacher, of whom all the girls are swooning over. You can't get a more sweet and nostalgic film than this, and Jeanne Crain has never been as appealing and attractive as here. She has an almost baby-like vulnerability about her, always looking so lovingly at her father and grateful for attention and love from anyone. If you love Jeanne Crain, this film is for you.

Unassuming but surprisingly enjoyable Americana with an authentic feel for its 1920s small-town setting (encompassing high-school life, teenage romance, musical styles, politics, etc). Fox stalwart King here shows he was as much at home in an intimate environment as an elaborate one; the result is an extremely handsome-looking Technicolor production further blessed by a most appealing young cast. This is led by Jeanne Crain in a star-making role as the titular character (embarrassed by Father's profession or when her undergarments gets unfastened in public places!) but also highlighting Glenn Langan as the dashing French professor (who ends up marrying her!), pretty blonde Barbara Lawrence as her popular best friend/neighbor (a nimble dancer and skater yet jealous of Langan's attentions for Crain) and a debuting Alan Young as the heroine's mild-mannered but devoted poet beau. While there were a few too many songs for my tastes, the warm humor and amiable characterizations eventually won the day; albeit well-loved, the film is oddly unavailable on DVD – so that I had to make do with a TV-sourced French-subtitled copy of variable quality!

One of my 5 favorite films of all times. I spent years away from my home America, and first saw this film when I was 14. But each time I see it, I laugh, cry, and remember what all butterflies must feel as they leave their chrysalis to become the lovely free spirits we so admire---Such is Jeanne Crain's sentimental journey through her teen-age angst towards a young emancipated woman. In her earnest struggle to 'fit in', and be popular like her best friend the beautiful and racy Mirabelle, a.k.a. Barbara Lawrence and her boyfriend 'Johnnikins' (a young and dashing Conrad Janis), the high school heartthrob(Move over DiCaprio) for whom Margie carries a heavy torch with his Beaver Coat and Pork Pie hat, (and way cooler 'moves' than Brando ever had). Yet she is humiliated and passed over at every turn not in small part due to her proclivity for losing her bloomers at the most inopportune times, including in front of the 'yummy' new French School teacher (Glenn Langdon). But despite a series of wildly comedic misunderstandings, (what is youth for, if not confusion?) she finally finds her true footing and purpose when she delivers a spectacular political speech that is as relevant today as it was in 1946, or actually the Roaring Twenties (when this film was set), wherein she bravely fights her own need for acceptance, against her admiration but embarrassment over her grandmother's militant views, and the small town that confines her dreams to its mundane outlook. All this lovely romantic lunacy, plus Rudy Vallee's nostalgic, heart-warning songs, glorious, unmatched Technicolor, the masterful direction of one of the legends of Cinema, Henry King, the innocence of an era we ALL deserve to experience if only in our hearts, manage to coalesce in Margie's own nature, through Jeanne Crain ethereal but strong willed performance allowing her emergence as a true 'Belle of the Bal', not via today's facile, surface cinematic crutches, but more from an inner beauty, that transforms the shy, insecure Margie into a radiant star. A Cinderalla story with substance, heart and a debatably 'Happy ending', as I have always been drawn to more swashbuckling heroic types---still, I'll watch this joyful classic forever, and hope for it's arrival on D.V.D. Why can't they make movies like they use to?