''The Mating of Millie'' is a 1948 American

romantic comedy Romantic comedy (also known as romcom or rom-com) is a subgenre of comedy and slice of life fiction, focusing on lighthearted, humorous plot lines centered on romantic ideas, such as how true love is able to surmount most obstacles. In a typica ...

film directed by Henry Levin and starring

Glenn Ford Gwyllyn Samuel Newton "Glenn" Ford (May 1, 1916 – August 30, 2006) was a Canadian-American actor who often portrayed ordinary men in unusual circumstances. Ford was most prominent during Classical Hollywood cinema, Hollywood's Golden Age as ...

and

Evelyn Keyes Evelyn Louise Keyes (November 20, 1916 – July 4, 2008) was an American film actress. She is best known for her role as Suellen O'Hara in the 1939 film ''Gone with the Wind''. Early life Evelyn Keyes was born in Port Arthur, Texas, to Omar D ...

Plot

Millie McGonigle (

), is riding a bus home from work when the frustrated driver, Doug Andrews (

), stops the vehicle and quits. As the assistant personnel director of a large department store, Millie is impressed by his independence and hands him her business card. The next day, Millie learns that Tommy Bassett (

Jimmy Hunt James Walter Hunt (born December 4, 1939) is an American actor.. He is perhaps best known for his role as David in '' Invaders from Mars'' (1953). In the 1986 remake of the same film he plays the police chief. Hunt has also appeared in films l ...

), a young boy she knows and likes very much, has lost his mother in a traffic accident. With his father already killed in

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

, Tommy is sent to a foundling home. An orphan herself, Millie quickly decides to adopt him, but learns from Ralph Galloway (

Ron Randell Ron is a shortening of the name Ronald. Ron or RON may also refer to: Arts and media * Big Ron (''EastEnders''), a TV character * Ron (''King of Fighters''), a video game character *Ron Douglas, the protagonist in ''Lucky Stiff'' played by Joe A ...

), the head of orphan's home, that she must be married to adopt the boy. Desperate, she invents a fiancé on the spot (conveniently away in Alaska), but Ralph insists on interviewing her phantom boyfriend within 60 days. When Doug shows up looking for a job, Millie considers him very suitable husband material (as does the rest of her all-female staff) and accepts an invitation to a date. However, Doug senses that there is something odd going on and gets her to confess what she is trying to do. Doug lets her know that he is a confirmed bachelor; however, he is willing to help the no-nonsense businesswoman land a spouse. Doug's lessons prove highly effective. Both the staid, respectable Ralph and the much more dashing Phil Gowan (

Willard Parker Willard Parker (born Worster Van Eps; February 5, 1912 – December 4, 1996) was an American film and television actor. He was a leading man under contract to Columbia Pictures in the 1940s and starred in the TV series '' Tales of the Texas Ran ...

), Millie's neighbor, fall in love with her. By this time though, Millie has lost her heart to Doug. After Doug, an aspiring writer, learns that his book is going to be published, he quits his job at the department store and prepares to go to New York to work with the publisher. Then a couple takes an interest in adopting Tommy. Ralph informs a distraught Millie that her 60 days are up, gets her to admit there is no fiancé, and asks her to marry him. Instead, she accepts Phil's proposal. When she informs Doug, he advises her never to tell her future husband why she is marrying him, because "A man likes to think he's loved for himself alone." Millie finds she cannot go through with the marriage. She makes an agonizing choice; she decides to chase after Doug rather than keep on fighting for Tommy. When she goes to see Tommy for the last time, Ralph informs her that the boy had been taken an hour before. Heartbroken, she returns to her lonely apartment, only to find Doug there. She kisses him repeatedly, confessing that she loves him even more than Tommy. He is unmoved, brusquely ordering her to go wipe the smudged lipstick from her face. When she does, she finds Tommy sleeping on her bed while Doug stands behind her with a smile on his face.

Cast

as Doug Andrews *

as Millie McGonigle *

as Ralph Galloway *

as Phil Gowan *

as Tommy Bassett *

Mabel Paige Mabel Paige (December 19, 1880 – February 9, 1954) was an American stage and film actress. Early years Paige began acting at age four, when she appeared in ''Van, the Virginian''. Career When she was 11 years old, Paige began acting ...

as Mrs. Hanson *

Virginia Hunter Virginia Hunter (née Reed; February 17, 1920 – March 23, 2012) was an American model and actress. She appeared in over 20 films during the 1940s. Early years Hunter was the daughter of Freeman A. Reed. Hunter grew up in Tulsa, Oklahoma, bef ...

as Madge *

Virginia Brissac Virginia Brissac (June 11, 1883 – July 26, 1979) was a popular American stage actress who headlined theatre companies from Vancouver to San Diego during the heyday of West Coast Stock in the early 1900s. An ingénue and leading lady known for ...

as Mrs. Thomas

Production

In June 1946, Columbia bought a story ''The Mating of Millie McGonigle'' from Adele Commandini for $50,000. The following month Columbia announced it would promote story editor Frances Manson to produce - it was rare for women to produce officially at the time but Columbia had a huge success with Virginia Van Upp in ''Gilda''. In April 1947 Henry Levin was assigned to direct. By June it was announced that Casey Robinson would produce and Evelyn Keyes and Glenn Ford would star. Filming started June 1947. The film was the fifth time Keyes and Ford worked together. Keyes remarked that Ford appeared discontent during production, acting unusually withdrawn and aloof. It was an early role for Australian actor Ron Randell.

References

External links

* * * *
The Mating of Millie
at Letterbox DVD
The Mating of Millie
at BFI
Review of film
at Variety {{DEFAULTSORT:Mating Of Millie, The 1948 films American black-and-white films Films about orphans 1948 romantic comedy films Films directed by Henry Levin Columbia Pictures films American romantic comedy films 1940s American films