Younger Janet Leigh & Robert Mitchum in ‘Vacation Affair’ 1949

Janet Leigh, romanced by Robert Mitchum & Wendell Corey, 1949’s “Vacation Affair.”

Vacation Affair was initially envisioned with
greater stars, however economical RKO settled on up and comers Janet Leigh and Robert
Mitchum, and that made the movie open for extra naturalism and fewer of a star
car. As a widowed mom, Leigh’s suitors are Mitchum and Wendell Corey,
who appear extra suited to movie noir, however work nicely right here. This 1949 Affair was filmed in B&W at low-glam
RKO. Leigh continues to be in her early honey brown section, earlier than she went platinum
blonde. All of this provides to the realism of the post-war romantic story.

Janet Leigh is a conflict widow with two suitors, Robert Mitchum and Wendell Corey,
in “Vacation Affair.” She’s additionally a mom with a younger son, performed by Gordon Gebert.

Off-camera,
Mitchum had simply survived a possible career-busting pot bust and jail
sentence. Fortunate for Mitch, of the 2 bosses who shared his contract, David
Selznick and Howard Hughes, the latter was an eccentric who took probabilities, and he
purchased Bob’s contract from Selznick. Talking of Hughes, Janet Leigh discovered
herself in the identical place as many younger starlets who caught Howard’s
obsessive eye. However she firmly put him in her place, as she was a Metro star,
and simply loaned out to Hughes’ RKO. Nonetheless, Leigh was loaned out to Hughes-run
(into the bottom!) RKO 3 times—was this MGM’s approach of punishing Janet?

Although Robert Mitchum’s picture would possibly counsel he is stealing the presents,
he is really very interesting as free spirit Steve in “Vacation Affair.”

Robert
Mitchum’s bemused, droll perspective is definitely an excellent match for gentle romantic
comedy. He’s a straight shooter as Steve in Vacation
Affair, providing reasonable takes on life and love. Mitchum’s free spirit
calls ‘em like he sees ‘em and makes no bones about his attraction to Janet
Leigh’s Connie. Her conflict widow, whereas interesting and sort, is caught prior to now
together with her misplaced soldier husband. Wendell Corey’s Carl is the kindly present
suitor for the preoccupied younger mom. The celebrities make an excellent trio on this
triangle. Realistically, each males are first rate, and there’s no final minute
turning one in every of them into a foul man. And Connie, whereas irritating in her
vacillation, has loads on her younger shoulders as a widow and dealing mom.

Whereas it is amusing to see movie noir faves Wendell Corey & Robert Mitchum as good guys competing for good lady Janet Leigh, the blokes are good in “Vacation Affair.”

What’s
fascinating about this film is that the story is very fanciful in its arrange and storytelling, but reasonable in its
dialogue about love and loss, in post-war life. The opening and shutting use a
miniature prepare set that morphs into and out of actual life. A few of the
conditions would certainly be thought-about corny and cringe-worthy by right this moment’s
requirements. However as an alternative of sledge hammering the plot factors with sentimentality,
they’re dealt with deftly, a rarity for the period. The three stars play with their
typical right down to earth method: Janet Leigh appears to be like fairly naturally fairly in her
early profession, plus common guys Robert Mitchum and Wendell Corey play with their
trademark diffidence. All of that is filmed modestly at RKO. Think about Vacation Affair at MGM with, as an example,
June Allyson, Van Johnson, and Robert Walker. The glamour and mawkish goo
would have been slathered on tremendous thick!

Janet Leigh was simply 22 when “Vacation Affair” was launched for the vacations in ’49.

Janet
Leigh brings her heat and pure enchantment to Vacation Affair, a stable actress from the get-go, simply three years
after being found by retired display screen legend Norma Shearer. The previous Metro
star noticed Janet’s picture at a ski lodge in early 1946 and advisable her to MGM.
By the top of the 12 months, Janet made her performing debut on a radio Christmas Eve broadcast
the identical 12 months. The next 12 months, Leigh made her movie debut as Van Johnson’s
love curiosity in The Romance of Rosy
Ridge. The remaining, as they are saying, was historical past.

Janet Leigh & Gordon Gebert’s scenes as mom & son are warmly plausible
in 1949’s “Vacation Affair.”

Robert
Mitchum got here up in Hollywood the standard approach—“additional” work and bit components. However in
simply three brief years, he scored with The
Story of G.I. Joe and received his solely Oscar nomination. And like Leigh, his nom
was within the supporting class, besides Mitchum’s was initially of his
profession, and hers in mid-career. Wendell Corey additionally grew to become a star proper after
the conflict, making his movie debut in 1947’s Desert
Fury. Corey was extra of a personality actor than star, however typically added wry
humor to his roles, equivalent to Jimmy Stewart’s pal in Rear Window.

The
scenes with Leigh and Gordon Gebert, who performs her son Timmy, are fairly
lovely however in a practical approach. Gebert actually isn’t shy in his scenes and he
acted till early maturity. From there, he went to school, after which had a
profession instructing structure.

Gordon Gebert was fairly the scene-stealer as Timmy in 1949’s “Vacation Affair.”

Director
Don Hartman had been a screenwriter at Paramount for a lot of Bob Hope and a number of other
Danny Kaye autos. After directing, he grew to become an government producer at
Paramount after which an impartial producer, his final was The Matchmaker, earlier than his dying at 57 in 1958. Hartman’s humorous
contact exhibits on this comedy-drama.

Vacation Affair has a lot of charming scenes
that transcend its clichés. The easy telling makes this movie
appears like a scrapbook of one other period and never only a too-glamorous previous film. Get pleasure from
this movie by itself phrases and one can find this a most comfortable affair.