''I'm Nobody's Sweetheart Now'' is a 1940 American

romantic comedy Romantic comedy (also known as romcom or rom-com) is a sub-genre of comedy and Romance novel, romance fiction, focusing on lighthearted, humorous plot lines centered on romantic ideas, such as how true love is able to surmount all obstacles. Ro ...

film directed by

Arthur Lubin Arthur Lubin (July 25, 1898 – May 11, 1995) was an American film director and producer who directed several ''Abbott & Costello'' films, ''Phantom of the Opera (1943 film), Phantom of the Opera'' (1943), the ''Francis the Talking Mule'' series a ...

and starring

Dennis O'Keefe Dennis O'Keefe (born Edward Vance Flanagan; March 29, 1908 – August 31, 1968) was an American actor. Early years O'Keefe was born in Fort Madison, Iowa, as Edward Vance Flanagan, the son of Edward J. Flanagan and Charlotte Flanagan ( ...

, Constance Moore and Helen Parrish. It was produced and distributed by

Universal Pictures Universal City Studios LLC, doing business as Universal Pictures (also known as Universal Studios or simply Universal), is an American filmmaking, film production and film distribution, distribution company headquartered at the 10 Universal Ci ...

Plot

Football player Tod Lowell is the son of a man running for governor, who needs the support of a political boss. Tod's dad asks a favor, that Tod spend a few weeks squiring Gertrude Morgan, the man's daughter. Trouble is, Tod's been romantically involved with Betty Gilbert, a

nightclub singer A nightclub act is a production, usually of nightclub music or comedy, designed for performance at a nightclub, a type of drinking establishment, by a nightclub performer such as a nightclub singer or nightclub dancer, whose performance may ...

, while Gert's gotten engaged to Tod's football rival, Andy Mason. A few tricks are played on the parents to make them believe Tod and Gertrude are serious, but just as they are about to return to their former partners, the two realize they actually have fallen for one another.

Cast

* Constance Moore as Betty Gilbert *

as Tod Lowell * Helen Parrish as Gertrude * Lewis Howard as Andy * Laura Hope Crews Mrs. Lowell *

Berton Churchill Berton Churchill (December 9, 1876 – October 10, 1940) was a Canadian stage and film actor. Early years Churchill was born in Toronto, Ontario. After his family moved to New York City, he graduated from high school there, studied law at nigh ...

as Sen. Lowell * Samuel S. Hinds as Morgan * Margaret Hamilton as Mrs. Thriffie *

Marjorie Gateson Marjorie Augusta Gateson (January 17, 1891 – April 17, 1977) was an American stage and film actress. Biography Gateson was born in Brooklyn, New York, to Augusta and Daniel Gateson. Her maternal grandfather and brother were clergymen; Some s ...

as Mrs. Morgan * Walter Soderling as Abner Thriffle *

Walter Baldwin Walter Smith Baldwin Jr. (January 2, 1889 − January 27, 1977) was an American character actor whose career spanned five decades and 150 film and television roles, and numerous stage performances. Baldwin was born January 2, 1889, in Lima, O ...

as Elmer * Tim Ryan sa Judge Saunders * Hattie Noel as Bedelia * Steve Pendleton as Chuck * Gene O'Donnell as Eddie * James Craig as Ray * Rex Evans as Parkins the Butler * Alphonse Martell as Headwaiter

Production

The film was originally called ''The Bride Said No''. Arthur Lubin was assigned to direct in May 1940. Filming started later that month. Hal Block signed to write some last minute comedy dialogue.

Reception

''Diabolique'' magazine called it "a cheerful comedy... so briskly done and well acted that it doesn’t hit you until the movie’s almost over how selfish the lead couple are – Lubin’s empathy for all his characters possibly threw this off balance because all the audience sympathy goes to the partners of O’Keefe and Parrish."

References

External links

''I'm Nobody's Sweetheart Now''
at

IMDb IMDb, historically known as the Internet Movie Database, is an online database of information related to films, television series, podcasts, home videos, video games, and streaming content online – including cast, production crew and biograp ...

''I'm Nobody's Sweetheart Now''
at

TCMDB Turner Classic Movies (TCM) is an American movie-oriented pay-TV network owned by Warner Bros. Discovery. Launched in 1994, Turner Classic Movies is headquartered at Turner's Techwood broadcasting campus in the Midtown business district of ...

I'm Nobody's Sweetheart Now
at BFI
I'm Nobody's Sweetheart Now
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Review of film
at Variety 1940 films 1940 romantic comedy films American romantic comedy films Films directed by Arthur Lubin American black-and-white films 1940s English-language films 1940s American films Universal Pictures films English-language romantic comedy films {{romantic-comedy-film-stub