MovieChat Forums > The Major and the Minor (1942) Discussion > Ginger playing younger and older

Ginger playing younger and older

posted 18 years ago by bgh48
4 replies | jump to latest

I've always enjoyed this film for years and always watch it when it's on, but Ginger Rogers during her career had an annoying habit of overplaying youth and middle age. As Diana Lynn says, "You look like 12 but act like 6". She's unintentionally commenting on how Ginger always exaggerates that effect. And when she plays her mother (played by her real-life mother) she's all solumn and deep voiced and overly "mature". Rogers also goes overboard with youth in Howard Hawks'"Monkey Business"; I read that she was jealous that her costar Cary Grant was permitted to whoop it up when he takes the serum so she bugged Hawks to let her take the youth serum as well. Result? Typical Ginger -- she reverts to being a teenager but instead sounds and acts like 8!

[–] npaxton-3 17 years ago

But in "The Major and the Minor" that's the whole point! She's an adult trying to pass herself off as a kid and is not too good at it until the kid sister clues her in. After that, she fools all the young cadets who develop a crush on her. Remember the train conductor? He was suspicious as well. Even Ray Milland, who is at first pretty clueless, starts to wonder about the vibes he's getting from Ginger and then his own feelings towards her. I do agree with you on "Monkey Business" that the kid scenes were carried a bit too far and probably should have featured only Cary Grant taking the serum.

[–] WhoDo-YouDo 13 years ago

When you see the adult Ginger playing the child in
"Kitty Foyle"
"The Major and the Minor"
"Monkey Business" and
"Lady in the Dark," then even if you relish the effect, by the time that you get to "Lady in the Dark," you might say, "Oh no, not again."

But Ginger has always been in touch with her inner child, and that's what makes scenes in her films work for the better.

She usually has a touch of vanity when it comes to playing elder than, say 26, but there's plenty of that going around throughout the history of Hollywood.

[–] lil_miss_independent92 13 years ago

I disagree with you. I think she did great in both movies. By the way the whole "her acting 6 instead of 12 thing" in The Major and the Minor was intended. In that movie she had to overact a little bit so Lucy could catch on...even Pamela had to suspect her before Mr. Osbourne revealed her identity.

[–] Popcorngal (4878) a year ago

Not too many 12 year olds would be playing with balloons the way she was on the train. I am currently viewing the film. I am not too familiar with Ginger's work outside of her musicals.