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Barbara Stanwyck, Dennis Morgan
WB Pictures 1945 Available on video (B&W)
Commander Jefferson Jones spent eighteen days stranded on a lifeboat. Now the only thing he can think of is food. Stuck for six weeks in a hospital he acts sweet on his nurse in order to get something more than gruel. His ploy works, but the nurse falls in love with him and starts talking marriage. He, of course, shies away. She thinks if he could just experience a happy home situation once, he might reconsider. With that in mind she writes to Alexander Yardley, the publisher of a popular magazine. Having once saved his grandchild's life she asks him to grant her a favor in return.... Elizabeth Lane is known as "America's Best Cook." She writes a food column for Smart Housekeeping magazine in which she shares delectable recipes and homey stories about herself, her husband and baby and life on their farm in Connecticut. In truth, Elizabeth is single, living in New York and doesn't know the first thing about cooking. Her restaurateur Uncle Felix supplies her with the recipes. No one was the wiser. Then Alexander Yardley invited both himself and a war hero to spend Christmas with her and her family. Elizabeth's secret will be exposed unless she can come up with a husband, baby, farm and culinary talents. John Sloan (Reginald Gardiner) has been pursuing Elizabeth to no avail. Now he presents her with an offer she can't refuse. He'll portray her husband, lend her his Connecticut farm and even borrow a baby, if she'll promise to wed him for real, immediately. She relents, taking Uncle Felix with her to Connecticut to complete the ruse. A judge appears shortly after their arrival, but the nuptials are postponed when the soldier turns up early. One look at the gorgeous man in uniform and Elizabeth goes from cold feet to catch-me-if-you-can. There's no way she's marrying John now, but how can she extricate herself from the mess she created, keep her job and capture the Commander? With a little help from a cow, a cook and a kidnapping. Barbara Stanwyck is superb as the smitten, city lady pretending |
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