The Major and the Minor
| The Major and the Minor | |
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| Directed by | Billy Wilder |
| Produced by | Arthur Hornblow Jr. |
| Written by | Billy Wilder Charles Brackett Fanny Kilbourne Edward Childs Carpenter |
| Starring | Ginger Rogers Ray Milland Rita Johnson |
| Distributed by | Paramount Pictures |
| Release date(s) | September 16, 1942 |
| Running time | 100 min |
| Language | English |
| Budget | $928,000 USD (estimated) |
The Major and the Minor is a 1942 film. It is a romantic comedy that represented Billy Wilder's feature debut as film director in Hollywood.
Plot summary
Susan Kathleen "Su-Su" Applegate (Ginger Rogers) is a scalp massager for the Revigorous System who quits her job after another client makes a play for her. This proves to be the last straw for Applegate, she declares that she will return home to Stevenson, Iowa with the fare which she has saved since her arrival in New York. Upon arriving at th train station she learns fare rates have changed and she can only afford a half-fare which is only available for children under 12. Susan becomes Su-Su and after finding a man in the train station to portray her father she boards the train.
On the train, the conductor becomes suspicous of the Su-Su, this is only intensified when he finds her smoking. She runs off and find her way to the compartment of Major Phillip Kirby (Ray Milland). She introduces her as Su-Su and continues her infantilied portrayal of a 11-year-old. He agrees to let her stay in his cambin until he reaches his base. In the morning his fiancee', Pamela Hill (Rita Johnson), arrives and finding Su-Su storms out accusing him of cheating on her. Pamela tells her father who is Kirby's commanding officer which prompts Kirby to have Su'Su come to the military school where he is stationed. Lucy (Diana Lynn), Pamela's younger sister, fids out that Su-Su is no child but agrees to keep her secret. Lucy dislikes Pamela and is trying to prevent her sister's sabotage of Major Kirby, to do this she enlists the help of Su-Su. Su-Su pretending to be Pamela calls a friend in Washington to ask her to aid in having Kirby reinstated to active service. Pamela finds Su-Su out after running into her former scalp massage client. She threatens to reveal the truth unless Susan leave and never reveal her true identity.
Susan returns home butcontinues to fantasize about Major Kirby. This behavior prompts Will Duffy, the young man she'd agreed to marry, to storm off in a huff. Major Kirby calls and this prompts Susan to reveal this insident to her mother who is confused by the story. Susan decides to disguise herself as Su-Su mother and meet Major Kirby. After learning that he and Pamela had not wed, she rushes to meet him at the train station as Susan. The two board the train to the West Coast, planning to stop in Nevada to be wed, before Kirby goes abroad.
It was remade by Martin and Lewis as You're Never Too Young in 1955 which also starred Diana Lynn, this time in the role that paralleled Milland's.
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