Keeping Company (1940) Frank Morgan, Ann Rutherford, Virginia Weidler, Dan Dailey, Gloria DeHaven

Keeping Company (1940) || tt0033782 Comedy | Family | Drama | USA | English | B&W | 80min Director: S. Sylvan Simon Cast: Frank Morgan, Ann Rutherford, John Shelton, Irene Rich, Gene Lockhart, Virginia Weidler, Virginia Grey, Dan Dailey, Gloria DeHaven, Sara Haden Mr and Mrs Thomas (Frank Morgan and Irene Rich) have three daughters. The story focuses on the romance of the oldest girl, Mary (Ann Rutherford), with Ted Foster (John Shelton), who is an automobile salesman at a dealership owned by Mr Hellman (Gene Lockhart). The youngest sister, Harriet (scene stealing Virginia Weidler), is always getting into trouble, snooping around or trying to connive some pistachio ice cream. Her older sister, Evelyn (Gloria De Haven), seems to spend much time in the kitchen. A young Dan Dailey plays a rival love interest for Rutherford's affections, and Sara Haden (Aunt Milly from the Andy Hardy series) plays Rutherford's mother-in-law. Ted and Mary soon get married and confidently expect a life of undisturbed bliss, since they are so much in love that no quarrel could ever separate them. But when Ted has some quite innocent dealings with Anastasia Atherton (Virginia Grey), a pretty model, misunderstandings and complications ensue, which require the wise intervention of Mr and Mrs Thomas. A nice little old-fashioned MGM family B picture. Rare starring vehicle for Rutherford, perhaps best remembered as Andy Hardy's long time girlfriend Polly Benedict in the long running Hardy movie series, and was intended to be the first entry in a series that never materialized. Keeping Company was based on a story by Herman J. Mankiewicz.