Wilder’s debut the major and the minor isn’t one of the best 10 films of 1942 but it’s worth recommending and I have it in the archives.

I hate to get too cute with the title but it’s “minor” wilder but a major triumph for ginger rogers who is wonderful here showing her comedic skill and range; she spends most of the movie posing as a 12 year old but also plays a woman her own actual age for a while (31) and also pretends to be much older for a few scenes and pulls them all off. It’s said that wilder became a director because he was sick of bad directors butchering his writing. That is evident in the film here. His direction is straight-forward and efficient.  He’s solid here but there’s little to indicate the brilliant career that would come in future years- mainly starting only two years later with 1944’s double indemnity.

Recommend