Forever Female (1953)

After his play his optioned, a young playwright (William Holden) is pressured by the show's producer (Paul Douglas) to rewrite the 19 year old girl in his play for a middle aged actress (Ginger Rogers). Loosely based on J.M. Barrie's play ROSALINDA, it's a rather uninspired comedy desperately in need of some wit to energize it. It's not horrible but so predictable that you're thinking "He's going to say ....." and the character says it or "That is going to happen" and it does. Rogers and Douglas are actually very good and bring a solid comfort to their characters. But Holden had long since moved beyond the young juvenile he's playing here. In the central role of the perky quirky ingenue, Pat Crowley in her film debut is more annoying than anything else. Not her fault really, it's in the writing. The role was supposed to make her a star (Paramount introduces her in the film as a "future Paramount star") but it never happened. Directed by Irving Rapper (NOW VOYAGER). With James Gleason, George Reeves, Marion Ross and Jesse White.