''Junior Miss'' is a 1945 American comedy film starring

Peggy Ann Garner Peggy Ann Garner (February 3, 1932 – October 16, 1984) was an American child actress. As a child actress, Garner had her first film role in 1938. At the 18th Academy Awards, Garner won the Academy Juvenile Award, recognizing her body of c ...

as a teenager who meddles in people's love lives. A collection of Sally Benson's stories from ''

The New Yorker ''The New Yorker'' is an American weekly magazine featuring journalism, commentary, criticism, essays, fiction, satire, cartoons, and poetry. Founded as a weekly in 1925, the magazine is published 47 times annually, with five of these issues ...

'' was published by Doubleday as '' Junior Miss'' in 1941. This was adapted by

Jerome Chodorov Jerome Chodorov (August 10, 1911 – September 12, 2004) was an American playwright, librettist, and screenwriter. He co-wrote the book with Joseph A. Fields for the original Broadway musical ''Wonderful Town'' starring Rosalind Russell. The musi ...

and

Joseph Fields Joseph Albert Fields (February 21, 1895 – March 4, 1966)According to the State of California. ''California Death Index, 1940–1997''. Center for Health Statistics, California Department of Health Services, Sacramento, Californiaancestry.com/ ...

into a successful play that same year."New Play in Manhattan", ''Time'', December 1, 1941.
/ref> Directed by

Moss Hart Moss Hart (October 24, 1904 – December 20, 1961) was an American playwright, librettist, and theater director. Early years Hart was born in New York City, the son of Lillian (Solomon) and Barnett Hart, a cigar maker. He had a younger brother ...

, ''Junior Miss'' ran on Broadway from 1941 to 1943. In 1945, the play was adapted to the film ''Junior Miss'' with

George Seaton George Seaton (April 17, 1911 – July 28, 1979) was an American screenwriter, playwright, film director and producer, and theatre director. Life and career Early life Seaton was born George Edward Stenius in South Bend, Indiana, of Swedish des ...

directing Peggy Ann Garner in the lead role of Judy Graves. ''Junior Miss'' was adapted as a radio series three times in the late 1940s and early ‘50s, with

Shirley Temple Shirley Temple Black (born Shirley Jane Temple;While Temple occasionally used "Jane" as a middle name, her birth certificate reads "Shirley Temple". Her birth certificate was altered to prolong her babyhood shortly after she signed with Fox in ...

and

Barbara Whiting Barbara Whiting Smith (May 19, 1931 – June 9, 2004) was an American actress and singer. Early life Whiting was born in Los Angeles, California, the daughter of music manager Eleanor Youngblood Whiting and composer Richard A. Whi ...

performing the lead role.

Plot summary

Lively and imaginative sisters Judy and Lois Graves, thirteen and sixteen years old, live in an apartment in New York City with their forgiving and patient mother and father, Harry, a lawyer, and Grace, a housewife. Judy's equally energetic friend Fuffy Adams frequently visits, and the two girls have their own ideas about the relations of the grown-ups surrounding them. They often use movie plots to interpret the reality around them. One night right before Christmas, Judy learns that her mother has a brother, uncle Willis, who has been absent for years. She is very intrigued by the news and quickly fantasizes a story about the handsome man in which jail time becomes a reason for the absence. In reality, Uncle Willis is a recovering alcoholic, who has spent the last four years struggling in rehab. Later that night, Judy meets Fuffy, who brings a handsome boy named Haskell Cummings. The young boy's appearance distracts her from her fantasies about her uncle. Haskell is supposed to be Judy's escort to the school dance ahead. Back in the apartment, Harry's boss, J. B. Curtis, is visiting, bringing his pretty daughter, Ellen, who is also his secretary. Letting her imagination run wild after seeing a kiss, Judy believes her father is infatuated with the secretary, and tells her friend Fuffy that they are romantically involved. The next day, Uncle Willis, handsome and rugged, makes a surprise visit, and Judy gets the idea that he would be the perfect match for Ellen. Right after Christmas Day, Judy secretly arranges for them to meet "by accident" at the Rockefeller Center ice-skating rink, and Willis and Ellen actually hit it off and become a couple. Harry's boss is troubled, though, as Ellen is constantly absent from the office, sneaking off to meet Willis. Ellen does not tell her father about Willis, but one day Judy can't keep the secret any longer, and on New Year's Day slips to Curtis that Ellen is seeing Willis, her "ex-convict" uncle. Curtis is worried and furious. He scolds Harry and Grace for letting the relationship begin and go on, and they in turn confront Judy. Willis and Ellen arrive in the middle of the argument, announcing that they have married. Curtis fires Harry when he defends Willis and his family. The family decides that Grace and the children should live with her mother in Kansas City until Harry gets another job. They also offer to let the newlyweds come live with them until they can stand on their own feet. Curtis makes an unannounced visit in search of his daughter, and Ellen and Willis are hidden away for the moment. Since it is the night of Judy's school dance, Haskell arrives to pick up Judy. He is announced, and when Curtis hears the name, he believes it is Haskell Cummings Sr., the businessman whose account he and Harry have been trying to win, who has arrived to talk to Harry. Believing that Harry is starting his own firm and has landed the influential Cummings as his client, he quickly offers to hire Harry back to the law firm, as a partner no less. And he is willing to hire Willis too. Realizing Curtis is mistaken, Harry quickly accepts the offer. Ellen reconciles with her father, and Curtis in turn is surprised to see the young Haskell enter the apartment. Then Judy appears, beautiful and ladylike, dressed in her ball dress, and she and Haskell leave the proud adults for the dance.

Cast

as Judy Graves *

Allyn Joslyn Allyn Joslyn (July 21, 1901 – January 21, 1981) was an American stage, radio, television and film actor, known for his roles playing aristocratic wealthy snobs. Biography Allyn Joslyn was born in Milford, Pennsylvania, the son of a mining e ...

as Harry Graves * Stephen Dunne as Uncle Willis Reynolds (as Michael Dunne) *

Faye Marlowe Faye Marlowe, also known as Faye Joseph and Faye Heuston (October 26, 1926 – May 5, 2022) was an American film and television actress with a career spanning a single decade, from 1945 to 1955. Early life Faye Marlowe was born in Los Angeles, ...

as Ellen Curtis *

Mona Freeman Monica Elizabeth "Mona" Freeman (June 9, 1926 – May 23, 2014) was an American actress and painter. Early years Freeman was born in Baltimore, Maryland, and grew up in Pelham, New York. A lumberman's daughter, she was a model while in hig ...

as Lois Graves *

Sylvia Field Sylvia Field (born Harriet Louisa Johnson; February 14, 1901 – July 31, 1998) was an American actress whose career encompassed performances on stage, screen, and TV. She was best known for playing the understanding Mrs. Martha Wilson (Mr. Wilso ...

as Mrs. Graves *

as Fuffy Adams *

Stanley Prager Stanley Prager (January 8, 1917 – January 18, 1972) was an American actor and a television and theatre director. Life and career Born in New York City, Prager began his career as the stage manager for the Broadway production ''The Skin of O ...

as Joe * John Alexander as J. B. Curtis *

Connie Gilchrist Rose Constance Gilchrist (July 17, 1895 – March 3, 1985) was an American stage, film, and television actress. Among her screen credits are her roles in the Hollywood productions '' Cry 'Havoc (1943), ''A Letter to Three Wives'' (1949), ...

as Hilda

References

External links

* * {{George Seaton 1945 films 1940s Christmas comedy films 1945 comedy films 20th Century Fox films American black-and-white films American Christmas comedy films American films based on plays 1940s English-language films Films based on short fiction Films directed by George Seaton Films scored by David Buttolph Films set in New York City Films set around New Year Films produced by William Perlberg 1940s American films