''Wallflower'' is a 1948 American

comedy film A comedy film is a category of film which emphasizes humor. These films are designed to make the audience laugh through amusement. Films in this style traditionally have a happy ending (black comedy being an exception). Comedy is one of the ol ...

directed by

Frederick de Cordova Frederick Timmins de Cordova (October 27, 1910 – September 15, 2001) was an American stage, motion picture and television director and producer. He is best known for his work on ''The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson''. Early life De Cordova ...

, written by

Henry Ephron Henry Ephron (May 26, 1911 – September 6, 1992) was an American playwright, screenwriter and film producer who often worked with his wife, Phoebe (née Wolkind). He was active as a writer from the early 1940s through the early 1960s. Ea ...

and

Phoebe Ephron Phoebe Ephron (née Wolkind; January 26, 1914 – October 13, 1971) was an American playwright and screenwriter, who often worked with Henry Ephron, her husband, whom she wed in 1934. Ephron was born in New York City to Louis and Kate (née ...

adapted from the play of the same name by

Reginald Denham Reginald Denham (10 January 1894 – 4 February 1983) was an English writer, theatre and film director, actor and film producer. Biography Reginald H. F. Denham was born in London, England, in 1894. He spent a good part of his career dire ...

and Mary Orr, and starring Robert Hutton, Joyce Reynolds,

Janis Paige Janis Paige (born Donna Mae Tjaden; September 16, 1922) is an American retired actress and singer. Born in Tacoma, Washington, she began singing in local amateur shows at the age of five. After high school, she moved to Los Angeles, where she b ...

, Edward Arnold, Barbara Brown and

Jerome Cowan Jerome Palmer Cowan (October 6, 1897 – January 24, 1972) was an American stage, film, and television actor. Early years Cowan was born in New York City, the son of William Cowan, a confectioner of Scottish descent, and Julia Cowan, née Palm ...

. It was released by

Warner Bros. Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. (commonly known as Warner Bros. or abbreviated as WB) is an American film and entertainment studio headquartered at the Warner Bros. Studios complex in Burbank, California, and a subsidiary of Warner Bros. D ...

on June 13, 1948.

Plot

Joy Linnett and her stepsister Jackie miss a flight home to Ohio, but the attractive Joy, accustomed to getting her way with men, flirts with pilot Stevie Wilson until he agrees to personally fly the two young women. At home, old beau Warren James comes calling and invites Jackie to a country club's dance. As soon as Joy emerges in a swimsuit, the smitten Warren not only neglects Jackie, he invites her sister to the dance. A quarrel ensues between the women's parents. Jackie's dad is outraged by the way his daughter is treated, but Joy's mom says he's just miffed that her daughter is more popular than his. Stevie calls out of the blue, giving Jackie an idea. She emulates her sister's behavior and wardrobe, persuading Stevie to accompany her to the dance. Once there, all the men get a look at the new Jackie and line up to dance with her, as sister Joy looks on, delighted. Now it is Warren who is neglected, so much so that he gets drunk and proposes marriage to both sisters. In the end, he comes to appreciate that Jackie is the one he really loves.

Cast

* Robert Hutton as Warren James * Joyce Reynolds as Jackie Linnett *

as Joy Linnett * Edward Arnold as Andrew J. Linnett * Barbara Brown as Mrs. Jessie Linnett *

as Robert 'Bob' James * Don McGuire as Stevie Wilson *

Ann Shoemaker Ann Shoemaker (born Anne Dorothea Shoemaker; January 10, 1891 – September 18, 1978) was an American actress who appeared in 70 films and TV movies between 1928 and 1976. She portrayed Sara Roosevelt, mother of Franklin D. Roosevelt, in b ...

as Mrs. Dixie James *

Lotte Stein Lotte Stein (1894–1982) was a German actress of the stage and screen. Of Jewish descent, she fled to the United States via Czechoslovakia and Portugal, and arrived at the Port of New York on board the S/S ''Mouzinho'' in June 1941. Selected fi ...

as Minna the Housekeeper

Reception

T.M.P. of ''

The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid d ...

'' reviewed the film positively, describing the plot and direction as unoriginal but praising the screenwriters for their adaptation of the original play and commenting positively on the acting.

References

External links

* * * * 1948 films 1948 comedy films American comedy films American films based on plays Films directed by Frederick de Cordova Films scored by Friedrich Hollaender Warner Bros. films American black-and-white films 1940s English-language films 1940s American films {{1940s-comedy-film-stub