The Major and the Minor is the kind of movie that holds up very, very well – and yet could never be made today. Know why? Because it’s about a grown woman who pretends to be 12 years old (!) in order to pay only half fare to get home from NYC to Ohio and falls for a grown man along the way. That may sound innocent enough, but of course the grown man finds himself falling for the grown woman whom he believes is 12 years old. In hindsight, that’s a little creepy.
But here, it’s not. This movie is hilarious. This was Billy Wilder’s first movie as a director, and the faith placed in him by the studio – and the movie’s stars, Ginger Rogers and Ray Milland – paid off handsomely. It’s hard to believe now, but Wilder had already earned three Oscar nominations for writing before directing a single film. He wound up with a pretty decent career.
Rogers plays Sue Applegate, a young lady trying to make a living in New York. Frustrated after a year in the big city, she decides to head back home; trouble is, the train fare has gone up by about $5, and our gal Sue doesn’t have enough. So she gets this funny idea – she’ll dress like a kid, complete with pigtails and a balloon, and pay only half fare. Sue’s plans hit a major snag when she’s found out by the conductor, and she hides in the compartment of one Major Kirby (Milland). Hilarity ensues when Kirby’s fiance finds Sue – known as Su-Su – with her betrothed, but soon all of that is cleared up and “Su-Su” must spend a few days with her friend the Major.
Shenanigans ensue, as you might expect. The movie is witty and delightful, with some zingers zooming almost faster than one can process them. Rogers and Milland are at the top of their comedic game, too. Among the talented supporting cast are Robert Benchley (“My only regret is that I have but one wife to give for my country”), Diana Lynn as the fiance’s sister, and Rogers’ own mother Lela, playing, yes, her mother.
The Major and the Minor: ****
