The Major and the Minor
Over ten years before his masterpiece Some Like it Hot, Billy Wilder directed another (rather overlooked) classic in the cross-dressing comedy genre, incidentally, his first work in US soil:
In The Major and the Minor hilarity ensues when New York-weary Susan 'Su-Su' Applegate (a very non-blonde Ginger Rogers) decides to pass off as a 12 year old child in order to secure a half price ride back home to Iowa. An imbroglio with the train conductors sees Su-Su hiding in Major Phillip Kirby's (Ray Milland) cabin and before she can stop, er, "kidding" with the Major, the situation snow balls and the under age farce must be kept. But for how long? Can Su-Su hide her ever increasing feelings for "Uncle Phillip"? And, after escaping dozens of NY womanizers, can she handle an army of 12 year old predatory cadets at the Major's academy?
Wonderfully funny, perfectly timed and just a little bit naughty (all those suggestive looks Major Kirby throws at the supposed 12 year old Su-Su cannot fool the audience...). Along with Some Like it Hot (1959) and cold war comedy One, Two, Three (1961) this forms part of my Billy Wilder holy trinity. It throws me into fits of laughter every time.
In The Major and the Minor hilarity ensues when New York-weary Susan 'Su-Su' Applegate (a very non-blonde Ginger Rogers) decides to pass off as a 12 year old child in order to secure a half price ride back home to Iowa. An imbroglio with the train conductors sees Su-Su hiding in Major Phillip Kirby's (Ray Milland) cabin and before she can stop, er, "kidding" with the Major, the situation snow balls and the under age farce must be kept. But for how long? Can Su-Su hide her ever increasing feelings for "Uncle Phillip"? And, after escaping dozens of NY womanizers, can she handle an army of 12 year old predatory cadets at the Major's academy?
Wonderfully funny, perfectly timed and just a little bit naughty (all those suggestive looks Major Kirby throws at the supposed 12 year old Su-Su cannot fool the audience...). Along with Some Like it Hot (1959) and cold war comedy One, Two, Three (1961) this forms part of my Billy Wilder holy trinity. It throws me into fits of laughter every time.
Posts
No comments:
Post a Comment