The Mating of Millie (1948) User Reviews

Fluffy romantic comedy from Colubmia for Evelyn Keyes and Glenn Ford...

[Doylenf · 6/10 · 10 October 2007]

After giving Evelyn Keyes the star treatment in JOLSON STORY, her studio failed to promote her in anything but some innocuous follow-up films with the exception of one or two films. This is one of the better ones.

THE MATING OF MILLIE is a frolic that was probably turned down by Rita Hayworth and given to GLENN FORD and EVELYN KEYES. Whatever, it ignites real sparks as a comedy, telling a story about a woman who must find a husband if she wants to adopt a little boy. The screenwriters find a number of amusing situations for Glenn and Evelyn and they make the most of their rather offbeat roles.

It's their flair for comedy that makes the simple plot so enjoyable. WILLARD PARKER is excellent as a bachelor friend who never notices Keyes until she gets some "warm-up" advice from Ford about how to catch a man. Before you know it, he's on her doorstep asking to borrow a cup of sugar.

RON RANDELL is the head of an orphanage who also has designs on Keyes but is a realist about the situation. The predictable happy ending is in sight long before it actually happens, but it's given a charming treatment. Movie buffs will recognize MABEL PAIGE as Keyes' friendly elderly neighbor.

As predictable as it is, it's still a charmer.

A Complete Charmer

[Sharclon8 · 7/10 · 3 March 2006]

I haven't seen this one for years. I wish TCM would show it because if memory serves it is a real charmer. Evelyn Keyes. the little sister in GWTW, wants to adopt a little boy, but needs to be married. She meets bus driver Glenn Ford, and tries to vamp him. She does such a terrible job of it he worms the reason out of her and agrees to help her trap another bachelor and therein lies the plot.

I am a very big fan of Glenn Ford. I believe that no one had the ability to place their tongue as firmly in their cheek and do subtle comedy in quite the same style as he did. He got better at it, for example one of my all time favorite movies The Sheepman. Even so my memory says this is a real cute movie.

A wonderful yet overlooked romantic comedy

[planktonrules · 8/10 · 27 April 2008]

I was caught completely by surprise by this little film from Columbia. I'd never heard of it and the plot sounded pretty corny--yet somehow, thanks to excellent writing and acting, the film was a wonderful little surprise--making me wonder why I hadn't heard about this film before?! The film begins with Evelyn Keyes playing a hard-as-nails workaholic. She keeps telling people that she has no time for romance and her life is her job. However, there are hints that down deep she wants more and is actually quite lonely. This is obvious when her neighbor dies--leaving an adorable little boy without a family. Keyes decides she should raise the boy but the orphanage director won't allow the adoption unless Keyes is married. In a panic, she tells the director she's engaged and will be able to take the boy.

Unfortunately, there are no men in her life at all. The closest thing to a boyfriend is Glenn Ford--who barely even knows her. However, he feels sorry for her and agrees to help her--though he makes it very obvious he's not the marrying kind. In some very cute scenes, he teaches Keyes to soften her approach and try acting sexy--something she is totally unfamiliar with at first. However, when she lets down her hair and tries, men come running. The only trouble is, by now, Keyes wants Ford--the confirmed bachelor.

While this all could seem very contrived and schmaltzy, it manages to work exceptionally well. First, the little boy is adorable but he's also more like a real boy--not some "Stepford kid". Second, the dialog is just great and it makes an unreal situation still seem realistic. I found myself really getting into the film and if I was more the crying type, I would have needed a box of tissues (since I am a guy, I kept thinking about baseball and war so I wouldn't cry--try it some time--it's a great way to deny those pesky feelings). My advice is to see this film--particularly with someone you love.

Single Parents were frowned on back then

[bkoganbing · 6/10 · 21 May 2011]

Evelyn Keyes plays the title role in The Mating Of Millie who is a very successful career woman with a nice job in the personnel office of a large Los Angeles department store. She occasionally looks after the neighbor's kid Jimmy Hunt in her bungalow complex. But when his mother is killed in a traffic accident and sent to an orphanage like the one Keyes grew up in, her maternal instincts are aroused.

Her problem is that back in those days the authorities would not let her adopt as a single parent so she has to look for a husband. She's got three candidates in mind, an unorthodox bus driver Glenn Ford, an advertising executive neighbor Willard Parker, and the head of the orphanage where Hunt is who is quite taken with her Ron Randell.

The Mating Of Millie is a nice family comedy with a minimum of heart tugging, but enough to remember why you wanted to see this film. The film is really Evelyn's picture and her best scenes are with Jimmy Hunt. Mabel Paige as the landlady in the bungalow court also has a nice role. In fact Ron Randell's such a nice guy as the orphanage head, it makes you wonder why anyone would want to leave.

Nothing terribly special here, but nice entertainment.

Nice Romantic Comedy

[utgard14 · 6/10 · 30 November 2013]

Pleasant romantic comedy stars the beautiful and charming Evelyn Keyes as a businesswoman who wants to adopt the son of a recently deceased neighbor. But to do this she needs a husband. Her first choice is Glenn Ford, but he's not the marrying kind. So he agrees to help her find a mate. You can pretty much guess where it's going to go from here but there are some funny and touching moments along the way. Keyes is terrific and we get some early Ford here, showing some of his lighter side. Later on he would become typecast as a gruff serious type in his western and film noir roles. He was excellent in those but it's nice to see some of his range here.

One scene I want to talk about in particular. It's a cute bit where Ford sneaks a peek through Keyes' diary, only to find it's all blank. He then breaks the fourth wall by looking at the camera and saying "nothing ever happened to her." It's a funny scene and a different type of comedy than the rest of the movie, which is more traditional. One has to wonder if they had thrown in more novelties like that if the movie would be more well-remembered today.

Glenn Ford, a bus driver?!

[Handlinghandel · 6/10 · 11 October 2007]

In this likable movie yes: He is. And also cast against type is the title character. Evelyn Keyes wrote one of the very first racy autobiographies and was married numerous times, to exciting men. Yet here she is a stern businesswoman. And her nickname is Butch! The title itself sounds like the title of a monograph my for an animal husbandry course. It couldn't be less romantic. Indeed, Millie's reason for wanting to be -- well, mated is originally not romantic at all. She wants to adopt a neighbor's child.

She thinks Ford would be a good husband, which she learns she must have. But she finds two other suitors. They seem quite unlikely, as cast.

The movie is fun and stylish. Keyes is fitted out in the most unrevealing clothes imaginable. This is true even when she is glamorized. They're pretty but look like slimmed-down versions of clothing Margaret Dumont might have worn.

Delightful 1948 Film

[whpratt1 · 10/10 · 10 October 2007]

Enjoyed this great entertaining film with Glenn Ford,(Doug Andrews) who is looking for a job after being in the Army and goes to the personnel department of a large department store and meets the store personnel manager, Millie McGonigle,(Evelyn Keyes). Millie interviews Doug and finds out he would like to be a floor walker in this department store. Doug notices that Millie is very concerned with a young boy she is fond of and wants to adopt, however, she needs a husband and so Doug tries to help her find a husband who likes children and is attracted to Millie. This is a very funny film with all kinds of funny situations between Evelyn Keyes and Glenn Ford. Evelyn Keyes had a nice role in "Gone With The Wind" and after this film Glenn Ford went on to make many great films which brought him to great fame on the silver screen. Enjoy.

admirable

[Kirpianuscus · 1 June 2021]

A simple story admirable presented. A young woman, married with her job, a bus driver at the end of his patience, a kid changing their life and a noble cause served by many small events. The basic virtue of film - to give all the flavors of old fashion cinema, from the smart construction of story to the delicate humor and romance . Short, delightful.

Nice light comedy romance and family drama

[SimonJack · 7/10 · 10 October 2020]

"The Mating of Millie" is a light comedy romance and drama set sometime after the end of World War II in California. After serving in the war, Glenn Ford's Doug Andrews can't seem to settle down into a job he likes. Evelyn Keyes' Millie McGonigle is a personnel executive in the huge Bullard's department store where she has worked her way up from a stocking clerk in a short time. These two meet by chance when Doug is fed up with a bus full of people who won't move to the back of the bus to stand, and he parks it and walks away from the job.

Millie lives in a bungalow apartment complex, and knows her neighbors, including a woman who has a little boy who likes Millie, and vice versa. After the woman is run over by a truck, Tommy is put in a homeless children's home awaiting any next of kin or ultimate adoption. That's when the mating of Millie gets into gear as she needs of be married in order to adopt Tommy.

Doug tries to help her by getting her to shed her business-suit persona. As she meets and attracts two very eligible bachelors, wedding bells appear on the horizon. But, without noting any of the rest of the cast, one can guess how this will end. It's a sweet little story, light comedy and enjoyable family film.

Sexy material for a slapstick comedy

[onmountain · 10/10 · 11 October 2007]

Hi. Saw this for the first time last night and I have to say I loved the film. Evelyn Keyes is really really beautiful... too bad it was such a long long time ago. I have to say that I found the end very provocative, and Evelyn Keyes has really sexy feet in the final scene. People must have been horny in 1948 - after the terrible WW2. I highly recommend the film. The transformation of the character that Evelyn Keyes plays is extraordinary. I don't think they could ever remake this film today. Just proves why the old films stand up so well even today. You can have real chemistry with people who never touch each other... well at least until the final scene...where the touching is pretty tame by today's standard, but given the curling toes, it obviously is pretty close.

Like a minor "Auntie Mame".

[MyMovieTVRomance · 7/10 · 12 April 2022]

It's like "Auntie Mame" (1958), if Mame were a straightlaced business woman instead of a partier. It's like Mame with less comedy and more schmaltz.

F "Auntie Mame" were a black and white film, in which Mame was required to find a husband and be a career woman before Patrick could come live with her, this would be it. And I love "Auntie Mame", so naturally I like this.

Best part: the Alaska synchronicity, which shows destiny is always at work in our lives, even when we think it's just us.

Worst part: that weird kiss thing the kid does! Just a simple peck on the check would have sufficed- little guy!

Overall though, good movie!

***1/2

[edwagreen · 9/10 · 27 June 2015]

This film has a serious premise when a businesswoman, Mildred McConigle, played with relish by Evelyn Keyes, seems satisfied with her life, but realizes after a birthday party that life is passing her by. She adores the youngster next door and wants to adopt him when his widowed mother is killed in a traffic accident.

The film becomes much much comic when Mildred finds herself as a lady and dresses for the occasion. She is then pursued by 3 men, Glenn Ford, the bus driver she meets when he gets fed up and quits his job, a neighbor and the head of the home that the child is staying until he can be adopted.

Everyone suddenly falls for the new desired Mildred, but her heart belongs to Ford and we know the rest when one of the other guys proposes, but Ford comes off his high horses as a single guy and finding success as a writer, finally succumbs to Mildred's charms.

Enjoyable film that's just a bit different

[vincentlynch-moonoi · 7/10 · 22 June 2015]

Before reviewing the film, I want to respond to reviewer arieliondotcom: Of course the movie seems dated. It was made nearly 70 years ago.

I give this film extra points for being at least somewhat unique. It's the story of a young woman who has few social outlets, who suddenly needs a husband so she can adopt a neighbor boy who is suddenly orphaned. It's both a comedy and a drama.

What's most delightful about this film is the performance of Glenn Ford. Ford was well into his film career when this film was made, although he had only recently come into his own as a screen presence. But this is not typical Glenn Ford, There's something different about Ford here, and it's quite endearing.

Evelyn Keyes was primarily a B picture actress, She's quite good, but someone you can't quite see her as a star of A pictures. I did find her performance in "The Jolson Sotry" much better, although she does well here.

Ron Randell is interesting as the head of the orphanage, although I was not familiar with him until this film. Jimmy Hunt is absolutely perfect as the young boy up for adoption, I enjoyed this film quite a bit, and recommend it.

A Mess of a Movie

[arieliondotcom · 4/10 · 27 April 2008]

I'm no fan of Glann Ford, so I may be prejudiced. But this is an awful film on so many levels. It might work if there were better stars or humor involved, but any humor is strictly involuntary because the film is so outdated. Any woman who could sit through it and not scream at the screen would be unusual, I think. A woman who has left her son in an orphanage tries to trap a husband to marry her and adopt her son. So of course, she learns how to be more of a woman from a man (Glenn Ford) toward the aim of being more seductive. Like a trained seal she goes through the steps with the predictable results. "The Mating of Millie" is a very appropriate title, because the woman is treated like a dog and (SPOILERS HERE) is only too happy to gleefully throw her son aside in the end (after struggling all of this time to keep him) in order to marry the guy who "wants to be loved for himself alone"...after calling him (appropriate) names for his callousness. And, of course, when he tells her he wants sex, she is only too eager to run into his arms in some of the most embarrassing acting I've seen. She practically drools on herself as she runs to his arms. It's kind of sad in a sexist way.

Anyway, even as a man I was offended at how this woman was portrayed so I'd imagine there would be a good number of women who wouldn't appreciate a woman who would, in the end, give up her son to "someone who loves him as much as I do" (a married couple interested in adopting him) when she could have kept the son and had a husband as well. But she'd rather throw the son away and keep the man she now "loves" for himself. To me, no woman would ever say another couple could love her child as much as she does. She concedes that, as much as she loves the child, the child is better off in a more stable home. But her desires are subdued under the child's needs.

Again, I think it's a mess of a movie, outdated and (unless remade with Lassie in the lead) totally inappropriate.

So enjoyable

[AbundantDay · 10/10 · 21 November 2015]

I enjoyed this so much that I want to try to find a copy so I can enjoy it again. I wasn't familiar with Evelyn Keyes but she was a beautiful actress from the 40's. Glenn Ford looks very young and handsome in this film as well. He plays an aloof type and his character wasn't my favorite in the movie. But the movie kept my attention from the beginning. It's sweet and compassionate and keeps you guessing about how it will pan out. It's wholesome yet flirty and is a great movie to keep you entertained when you need to relax. It's a chick flick so I'm not sure how men would relate to it. I highly recommend it, and therefore rated it an excellent film. If you have the opportunity, see it.

Why isn't this on on Warner Archive as a remastered DVD?

[lukefan · 10/10 · 15 July 2019]

This is a lovely gem of a romantic comedy. Glenn Ford and Evelyn Keyes play well off each other and the plot gives enough twists. Mr. Ford has quite a way with comedy, one of which involves breaking the 4th wall. Can see why the scriptwriters were nominated for a Writers' Guild of America award. The story is deftly penned with the right touches of humor! A 10!