Tonight's Movie: You For Me (1952)

YOU FOR ME is a middling romantic comedy which finds nurse Jane Greer trying to decide between millionaire Peter Lawford and dedicated but relatively poor doctor Gig Young. What's a girl to do?

The film has its pleasant moments, but it never quite fires on all cylinders; some of the "funny" scenes, such as Lawford being shot in the rear or hounded by his obnoxious ex-wife, are just loud and silly. Part of the film's problem is that none of the characters are wholly admirable, and they're a noisy bunch, constantly shouting. The movie is an okay time-passer, but not much more than that.

Lawford's character, a wealthy man with financial problems, is fairly similar to the role he played in another 1952 film, JUST THIS ONCE. JUST THIS ONCE, which costarred Janet Leigh, was the better film of the two. Lawford also appeared in THE HOUR OF 13 in 1952, which was a remake of a film I watched last weekend, THE MYSTERY OF MR. X (1934).

Greer seems a little too intelligent for the material, and in fact it's a bit hard to believe such a smart woman would constantly lose her temper, not to mention her job. Her previous film, YOU'RE IN THE NAVY NOW (1951), was a much better comedy.

Young has a couple moments to smile charmingly, but that's about it. Barbara Ruick appears to good effect as Greer's pregnant sister, but her husband (Paul Smith) is completely obnoxious; why on earth did she marry him? Otto Hulett and Barbara Brown play Greer and Ruick's parents.

Tommy Farrell, Rita Corday, and Ned Glass are also in the cast, and Elaine Stewart has a nice appearance in the final scene of the movie.

Don Weis directed YOU FOR ME, which runs 71 minutes.

YOU FOR ME has not had a video or DVD release, but it can be seen on Turner Classic Movies.

December 2018 Update: This film is now available on DVD from the Warner Archive.