Rich Man, Poor Girl, and Henry

Radio Record, Volume XII, Issue 28, 23 December 1938, Page 14

Rich Man, Poor Girl, and Henry

[*Rich Man, Poor Girl." M.G.M. Directed by Reinhold Schunzel. Starring Robert Young, Ruth Hussey, Lew Ayres. First release, Wellington.] HEN I saw that Robert Young was cast as the rich man in ‘‘Rich Blan, Poor Girl," I thought maybe it would be just another bright, inconsequential comedy of the type in which Young excels, But "Rich Man, Poor Girl’ is more than that, thanks to somes novel twists to an old plot, and good acting by everybody. In fact, the picture may prove 2 small hit. The wealthy young man falling in love with his pretty, but humblyborn secretary, has been done before, I seem -to remember, -but surely no rich young man ever had the trouble Robert Young has with his future wife’s family. For the Thayer family, although they’re just middle-class folk-lower middle-class-are a proud lot, and

their pride makes them do strange things. Very strange things. Strangest and most interesting. member of the family is un-~ doubtedly young cousin Henry, an alert young man who regards himself as: the predestined prophet of the great middle class, who goes from job to job: without: his ability ever being recognised,. and who is the most class-conscjous person you ever met. 4 "Mr, Harrison, I want’ to ask you' a personal question," says Henry the first time he meets the rich young man who wants to marry into his family. "How does it feel to be rich, to know that you ean buy and sell anybody you meet on the street? Does it make you feel good?" An embarrassing person, Henry, and before long his extreme classconsciousness causes not a few complications. Crazy Family JTT’S impossible to tell you all the amusing things that happen to all the Thayers, but you. may have gathered that M.G.M. have asgsembled yet another crazy family. Perhaps you'd like to know who they are. Pa is Guy Kibbee, in a much better role than he usually gets. Ma is Sarah Padden. Helen, the dancing daughter who would very much like to crash into society, is Lana Turner, the girl who vamps Mickey Rooney in "Love Comes to Andy Hardy." Joan, "who causes all the trouble in the. first place. by making her boss fall in love with her, is Ruth Hussey, apparently a new M.G.M. star. She

is dark, comely and poised, rather a la Rosalind Russell, and J] think we'll be seeing some more of. her. And now cousin. Henry. He is Lew Ayres, and once again Mr. Ayres comes pretty close to stealing the whole show-he almost does it in "Holiday," remember? He makes the proud, class-conscious cousin Henry an intensely vital and very likeable young man. Robert Young, by the way, is slick and polished,.as he always is.