The Major and the Minor

CinemaSerf

When she is reduced to giving a lecherous businessman an egg shampoo, "Susan" (Ginger Rogers) decides it is time to abandon the big apple and return to Iowa. Snag is, they've put the bus fares up and she can't afford the $30-odd to get home. Then she hits on an idea. Pretend you are a twelve year old called "Su-Su" and go half price. The conductors on the train weren't born yesterday though, and after some cat and mouse antics she finds herself in the salon of "Maj. Kirby" (Ray Milland). He takes pity on her and offers her some shelter, but when his fiancée "Pamela" (Rita Johnson) unexpectedly enters the cabin and spots this woman, she comes to an hasty conclusion that is only going to cause the major some hassle with her dad, the colonel - his boss (Edward Fielding). He has to explain things, so takes his new foundling to the military academy where he lives and "Su-Su" quickly finds herself the centre of attention for many of the three-hundred hormonal students vying for that first kiss. She is no pushover, and for the next hour or so manages to have some quick-witted fun running the place ragged whilst poor old Milland starts to succumb to her charms. Messrs. Brackett and Wilder have toned down their more screwball instincts for this, and provinding some really quite witty dialogue have managed to allow Rogers to showcase some of her skillful comedy timing whilst Milland acts almost perfectly as her foil. Diana Lynn also chips in well as the disgruntled sister "Lucy" and there an whole slew of impressionable young cadets to showcase the stupidity of the male sex when little better than in heat. This is short, sweet and well worth a look.