''Young and Willing'' is a 1943 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 ...

produced and directed by

Edward H. Griffith Edward H. Griffith (August 23, 1888 – March 3, 1975)F ...

and starring

William Holden William Holden (born William Franklin Beedle Jr.; April 17, 1918 – November 12, 1981) was an American actor, and one of the biggest box-office draws of the 1950s. Holden won the Academy Award for Best Actor for the film ''Stalag 17'' (1953) ...

Eddie Bracken Edward Vincent Bracken (February 7, 1915 – November 14, 2002) was an American actor. Bracken became a Hollywood comedy legend with lead performances in the films ''Hail the Conquering Hero'' and ''The Miracle of Morgan's Creek'' both from ...

Robert Benchley Robert Charles Benchley (September 15, 1889 – November 21, 1945) was an American humorist best known for his work as a newspaper columnist and film actor. From his beginnings at ''The Harvard Lampoon'' while attending Harvard University, thro ...

, and

Susan Hayward Susan Hayward (born Edythe Marrenner; June 30, 1917 – March 14, 1975) was an American film actress, best known for her film portrayals of women that were based on true stories. After working as a fashion model for the Walter Thornton Model A ...

. With a screenplay by

Virginia Van Upp Virginia Van Upp (January 13, 1902 – March 25, 1970) was an American film producer and screenwriter. Early life Virginia Van Upp was born in Chicago, the daughter of Harry and Helen Van Upp. Mrs Van Upp had been an editor and title writer for ...

based on the play ''Out of the Frying Pan'' by

Francis Swann Francis Swann (July 16, 1913 – August 27, 1983) was a playwright, novelist, and a film and television writer. He wrote several Broadway plays, most notable of which was ''Out of the Frying Pan''. He wrote a number of screenplays for Warner Bros. ...

, the film is about young, aspiring actors—three men and three women—who combine their resources and move into the same apartment, hoping to keep the landlady in the dark until they can become famous. ''Young and Willing'' was made by

Paramount Pictures Paramount Pictures Corporation is an American film and television production company, production and Distribution (marketing), distribution company and the main namesake division of Paramount Global (formerly ViacomCBS). It is the fifth-oldes ...

(as Cinema Guild Productions) and distributed by

United Artists United Artists Corporation (UA), currently doing business as United Artists Digital Studios, is an American digital production company. Founded in 1919 by D. W. Griffith, Charlie Chaplin, Mary Pickford, and Douglas Fairbanks, the studi ...

Plot

Struggling young actors (three males and three females) share an apartment to make ends meet. This scenario is pretty daring considering the conservative and censorious attitudes of that period. The landlady provides a play to the actors that turns out to have been left behind long ago by a destitute, evicted tenant (Robert Benchley). That former tenant is now a successful theater producer and playwright who has recently taken a room in his old haunts to recharge his creativity and try to rewrite his first play—one that the landlady had kept when he was evicted. The young actors attempt to sell his own play to him. Complications begin when Cousin Muriel (Florence MacMichael) visits and discovers the sinful cohabitation; she tattles to her folks, who charge over to investigate and drag the daughters home. Silliness and mayhem ensue, propelled by Muriel's actions and highlighted by her unique little-girl, tattletale voice.

Cast

as Norman Reese *

as George Bodell *

as Arthur Kenny *

as Kate Benson *

Martha O'Driscoll Martha O'Driscoll (March 4, 1922 – November 3, 1998) was an American film actress from 1937 until 1947. She retired from the screen in 1947 after marrying her second husband, Arthur I. Appleton, president of Appleton Electric Company in Chic ...

as Dottie Coburn * Barbara Britton as Marge Benson Dennison *

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. Garnet *

Florence MacMichael Florence MacMichael (April 26, 1919 – May 28, 1999) was an American character actress of stage, film and television, best known for playing Winnie Kirkwood in the television series ''Mister Ed''. Early life and education MacMichael was born ...

as Muriel Foster * James Brown as Tony Dennison * Jay Fassett as J.T. Coburn *

Paul Hurst Paul Michael Hurst (born 25 September 1974) is an English football manager and former player who is the manager of club Grimsby Town. As a player, he was a defender from 1993 to 2008, notably playing his entire career at Rotherham United, b ...

as First Cop *

Olin Howland Olin Ross Howland (February 10, 1886 – September 20, 1959) was an American film and theatre actor. Life and career Howland was born in Denver, Colorado, to Joby A. Howland, one of the youngest enlisted participants in the Civil War, an ...

as Second Cop *

Billy Bevan Billy Bevan (born William Bevan Harris, 29 September 1887 – 26 November 1957) was an Australian-born vaudevillian, who became an American film actor. He appeared in more than 250 American films between 1916 and 1950. Career Bevan was bo ...

as Phillips

Production

The play on which the film is based opened at the Windsor Theatre, New York City, on February 11, 1941, with

Alfred Drake Alfred Drake (October 7, 1914 – July 25, 1992) was an American actor and singer. Biography Born as Alfred Capurro in New York City, the son of parents emigrated from Recco, Genoa, Drake began his Broadway career while still a student at Broo ...

Barbara Bel Geddes Barbara Bel Geddes (October 31, 1922 – August 8, 2005) was an American stage and screen actress, artist, and children's author whose career spanned almost five decades. She was best known for her starring role as Miss Ellie Ewing in the t ...

, and Mabel Paige in the cast.

References

External links

* * * 1943 comedy films 1943 films 1940s English-language films Films scored by Victor Young American films based on plays United Artists films American comedy films American black-and-white films Films directed by Edward H. Griffith 1940s American films {{1940s-comedy-film-stub