This second feature from 1942, Obliging Young Lady, stars Ruth Warrick, Joan Carroll, and Edmund O'Brien.Linda Norton (Warrick) takes a child (Carroll) involved in a custody case to a resort to keep the child hidden from reporters. Her nemesis, Red Reddy (O'Brien) is at the same resort. He saw her at another train station, fell for her, kissed her, and was slapped. She wants nothing to do with him.The whole thing turns into a big mess, with Linda's boyfriend arriving, with Linda and Red posing as Bridget's parents. A private detective shows up, as well as a reporter (Eve Arden) who knows Red. And there's a bird lovers' convention. The participants are under the impression that Red is well- traveled and can give them information.Cute and fast-moving, with a nice cast that also includes Franklin Pangborn and Charles Lane, who died in 2007, at the age of 92, and worked until he was 80. Ruth Warrick was a pretty leading lady in the style of Rosalind Russell and does well here, but her big fame came years later as Phoebe Tyler in All My Children. Joan Carroll is very good - she's not a cloying, overly sweet child, nor is she obnoxious. O'Brien is up to the comedy, though he would be known later for film noir.All in all, pleasant.

A very annoying young girl's rich parents are getting a divorce. Apparently this is big news, as reporters are flocking to interview them as well as the child. In order to keep the child away from this hysteria, the child is sent on a vacation in the country--with a fake mother so reporters won't recognize her. In the process, Edmond O'Brien meets up with the pair and instantly falls for the lady (Joan Carroll) and spends the film following them.I love romantic comedies from the 1930s and 40s, so you can't attribute my indifference to this film to any sort of dislike of the genre. I also love Edmund O'Brien and he could have handled this film better....if he'd had a decent script. The combination of a romantic comedy and O'Brien simply SHOULD have been a lot better.The biggest problem with "Obliging Young Lady" is a complete and total lack of subtlety. As a result, the humor sure seems very, very forced. Too many story elements just seemed to be tossed in for effect--not for coherence. And, because of this, the characters seem, at times, more like caricatures than real people. Now SOME of this is due to the genre--in "Bringing Up Baby", Katharine Hepburn's character sure isn't all that believable--but the script was so good that you could suspend judgment. With "Obliging Young Lady", the script just doesn't have the energy or quality to do this.Here are a few problems with the script. First, the young lady (from the film's title) was so completely unlike a real child it was ridiculous. She ran around putting tacks on people's seats compulsively--for a VERY cheap laugh that they did AGAIN and AGAIN. She also manipulated the heck out of everyone with a finesse that few, if any, adults could match. And, she was too 'cute' for her own good--and the film makers really tried too hard to make her adorable and kooky. I just wanted to hit her! Second, while O'Brien could have been great (especially since he was thinner and not yet Film Noir ugly back in 1942--plus he was a nice actor), his character too often was annoying. His "Heinie Manush" joke simply wasn't funny--yet it was repeated again and again and again. This really got me hating O'Brien's character and made me wonder if Manush (a retired baseball player) ever thought of suing these folks! Also, his character often got too close to the border between being a nice, cute guy AND being a creepy stalker. The way he forced himself on the leading lady made me wonder if he might just be a date rapist--he came on THAT strong and ignored every request to leave her alone. Nice. Third, while the bird watchers sequence could have been very funny, it was WAAAY overdone--too kooky and ridiculous--almost like it was made for a Three Stooges short (for which it might have been appropriate).So is the film worth seeing? Well, it's not all horrible and is a watchable time-passer--but nothing more. If you love old movies, it's worth seeing--otherwise, try seeing "Arsenic and Old Lace", "My Man Godfrey", "His Girl Friday" or "Bringing Up Baby" instead--these are all far more worthy romantic/screwball comedies.

It's painfully obvious that OBLIGING YOUNG LADY is about a bratty girl who isn't the least bit obliging. Nor do the adults around her behave with any more common sense throughout the running time of this weak screwball comedy.JOAN CARROLL gets top billing as the bratty girl given to putting tacks on chairs for sheer delight. EDMOND O'BRIEN proves that comedy was not his forte; EVE ARDEN is totally wasted as a newspaper woman; RUTH WARRICK is pretty but can do nothing much with a bland role as a lawyer who takes the girl to a lodge in the country while the parents are involved in a custody battle.The good supporting cast includes GEORGE CLEVELAND, CHARLES LANE, FORTUNIO BONANOVA and FRANKLIN PANGBORN. Pangborn is the only bright note in the comedy, arriving at the lodge with his bird group and providing some genuinely amusing comic moments with their bird calls.RKO was obviously hoping to provide a star vehicle for child actress JOAN CARROLL but the character she plays is obnoxious from scene one and the script never gives her an opportunity to be anything but annoying.Bad script defeats everyone and results in a strained and very foolish comedy in which everyone is guilty of boorish behavior.

Totally fab opening has a train-track cadence set to baseball great Heine Manush's name. The name is used throughout the film and sets the tone of silliness. Filled with terrific chacacter actors, the films bounces along despite the lame plot. But it's always a pleasure to see Franklin Pangborn, Almira Sessions, Charles Lane, Eve Arden, Luis Alberni, Jimmy Conlin, George Cleveland, George Chandler, Fortunio Bonanova, Nora Cecil, Marjorie Gateson, and others in solid roles. Ruth Warrick is ok, Edmond O'Brien less so. Joan Carroll as the kid is blah, but Robert Smith is downright terrible. Heine Manusch, Heine Manusch!!!