Main Cast: Cary Grant, Franchot Tone, Diana Lynn, Betsy Drake, Alan Mowbray
Release Year: 1948
Country: US
Run Time: 84 minutes
MPAA Rating: NR
Plot
Cary Grant met his future wife Betsy Drake on the set of the appropriately titled Every Girl Should be Married. Grant plays well-known baby specialist Madison Brown, who is Dr. Spock in everything but name. After a chance meeting with headstrong young Anabel Sins (Drake), poor Brown finds his every move and thought monitored by Anabel, who intends to become his wife come heck or high water. Upset that Brown steadfastly resists her charms, Anabel decides to make him jealous by playing up to her boss Roger Sanford (Franchot Tone). When Brown still won't bite, our plucky heroine mounts a campaign enlisting everybody in town to wear down the doctor's resistance. Nowadays, this is called "stalking"; in 1948, it was called "funny." Produced, directed and written by Don Hartman, Every Girl Should be Married was a box-office winner to the tune of $775,000. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
Review
Times have changed since 1948. Many romantic comedies are still built on the premise that a woman will do anything to get her man, but they're not as blatant about it as Every Girl Should Be Married. This is one of the problems with Every Girl -- it's a little too above-board about the motives of its heroine. In spite of the fact that she professes to be in love with her intended prey, it's hard to shake the feeling that what she really feels is infatuation -- and that her motivation for pursuing him has more to do with a determination to simply be married than a determination to be married to this particular individual. And when her future husband abruptly does an about-face and agrees to marry her, it not only isn't believable, it comes across as an act of pity, rather than a realization that he does indeed love her. Adding to this problem is Betsy Drake. Her performance is actually good and quite skillful, but she lacks the requisite natural spark that this kind of role demands and that puts the audience at ease. (By contrast, when Katharine Hepburn hunts Cary Grant in Bringing up Baby, it seems entirely natural, not least because something in Hepburn's being makes it seem that way.) However, there are still some good laughs in the screenplay, Grant is his usual excellent self, and the dream house Drake sets up is charming. If the viewer can get past the datedness, it's a modest little entertainment. ~ Craig Butler, All Movie Guide
Carroll Clark - Art Director, Albert S. D'Agostino - Art Director, Irene Sharaff - Costume Designer, Sam Ruman - First Assistant Director, Don Hartman - Director, Harry Marker - Editor, Leigh Harline - Composer (Music Score), Constantin Bakaleinikoff - Musical Direction/Supervision, Gordon Bau - Makeup, George E. Diskant - Cinematographer, Don Hartman - Producer, Dore Schary - Producer, Darrell Silvera - Set Designer, William L. Stevens - Set Designer, Russell A. Cully - Special Effects, Clem Portman - Sound/Sound Designer, Francis M. Sarver - Sound/Sound Designer, Eleanor Harris - Screen Story, Don Hartman - Screenwriter, Stephen Morehouse Avery - Screenwriter
Department store salesclerk Anabel Sims (Betsy Drake) is very enamored with the idea of getting married. So when handsome pediatrician Madison Brown (Cary Grant) asks for her help in making a purchase, she decides that he is the one for her.
He is quite happy as a bachelor, but Anabel proves to be a very determined schemer. She learns all she can about him, everything from where he went to school to his favorite foods. Madison soon realizes her intentions and does his best to fend off the young woman.
Anabel makes a reservation at a restaurant on a day when she knows that Madison habitually dines there. In an attempt to make him jealous, she pretends to be waiting for wealthy, thrice-married playboy Roger Sanford (Franchot Tone), who happens to be her employer and Madison's university classmate. By chance, Roger shows up. Fortunately for her, Roger believes that she is using Madison as a ruse to get acquainted with him. However, the maneuver fails; Madison's feelings remain unchanged.
Anabel comes up with more ingenious schemes, but they are all unsuccessful. However, Roger falls in love with her. He eventually asks her to marry him, but she only accepts an invitation to dinner at his home. When Anabel's best friend Julie (Diana Lynn) warns Madison, he begins to worry, knowing something of Roger's success with women. The doctor invites himself to the little soirée. While waiting for Anabel, they are unexpectedly joined by "Old Joe" (Eddie Albert), Anabel's longtime hometown beau, who announces that he and Anabel are finally going to get married. At first, Madison congratulates them, but after thinking about it, makes his own bid for her hand. Anabel leaves the decision up to Joe, who bows out, saying that he only wants her to be happy. After Joe leaves, Madison informs Anabel that her research on him was incomplete; he recognized "Joe's" voice as that of a radio performer he listens to frequently.
