brilliant actors, brilliant editing

The film was still a fun one that will make you laugh and have you leaving the theater feeling like you just stole something valuable and got away with it.

This is a must-see and one of the best documentaries - and films - of this year.

One of the film's great tricks is that, for a time, you think it will go down a rabbit hole of unrealistic glorification.

I just happened to watch this movie today and I must say its one hell of an entertainer. I just realized that its almost 70 years since this movie has been out and this got me compelled to write a review as it may easily be missed out on with time. A hilarious movie with great screenplay and wonderful actors. Have seen a handful of B/W movies but never one this funny. All the characters have done a great job. The movie is full of witty lines, amusing performance all kept at a fast pace that would just crack you up all the way till the very last minute of the feature. Simply put, you shouldn't miss out on this one. Shame I've never heard of this one before. Well better late than never.

This Norman Krasna play of the war era was a surprising Broadway hit and makes for an above average domestic comedy where surprising performances and a charming light-heartedness make it much better than predicted. Joan Caulfield is Ruth, the 21-year old bank employee who still lives at home (with parent Edward Arnold and Mary Phillips, and pesky teenaged sister Mona Freeman) and finds herself the victim of an unintentional deception which the impish Freeman played by writing letters in Ruth's name to a lonely soldier (William Holden). Freeman, a teenaged champion of causes, is an amusing pest to everyone in the house who can't help but be bemused by her devotion to war causes, particularly her fight for peace and her devotion to the poor soldiers drafted all in the cause of freedom. Caulfield has somehow became engaged to bank executive Billy De Wolfe, a stuffy older man who gives impressions of interests other than in women, especially when being offered a drink and asked if he'd like it "straight". Holden shows up and all is revealed in time, and when Caulfield meets the lonely soldier on leave from Europe, she can't help but be charmed by him.The best performances in these types of films are those which really don't seem to be acted, and in the case of romantic leads Caulfield and Holden, they do their job so effectively it really seems as if they are real people, not movie stars giving a "performance". Arnold, of course, displays his usual boundless energy, showing that while more grandfatherly in appearance towards the two young girls, he still has what it takes to rule the roost, chew the scenery and steal the moment every chance he gets. But for me, the real star of the show is young Mona Freeman who takes what could be truly an obnoxious character and turns her into someone very likable. What Shirley Temple was doing at the same time shows the difference that less is more, and Freeman's ease in her portrayal makes for a much more tolerable character than Temple and certain other young actors were doing at the same time in films somehow more remembered today.There's lots of surprises here and a delightful adventure on the New York Subway is a comic gem, especially when De Wolfe gets his nose out of joint for something which got him a summons. This plot has been repeated so many times (with a nebbish young man loosing the pretty heroine to the handsome hunk) that it could have been a predictable generic sitcom like film, but the fresh writing, fast direction and amiable performances make this a delight from start to finish. Two sequels popped up after this became a hit and are curios to search out to complete the saga of this wacky family where the judge isn't always moralizing and the mother isn't always fretting for Andy Hardy to stay out of trouble.

This is a funny, tender film. I recommend it to anyone who is a fan of romantic comedies. It is where I first fell in love with William Holden. He is DELIGHTFUL here, to say the least. Dear Ruth has a great cast and it's well written. It's a funny and sweet tale of mistaken identity. A great family film. I've been suggesting it on TCM.com for years, but they won't play it so far. If you have a moment and have seen this film, please suggest it on TCM.com. I can't find it on DVD or VHS. I haven't seen it in 15 or 20 years or so, but I remember it well. It was unforgettable! Again, it is one of William Holden's most romantic, sweetest roles.

This was one of the most delightful films I have ever seen. Film makers have forgotten what the elements of a good film are. This one has it all: character development, snappy dialogue, humor, love, and a happy ending. The actors and actresses tell their story not only with words, but with their expressions and other non-verbal communication. Who needs fantastic stories, mindless violence, etc. This kind of film really entertains.