GManfred This one aired on TCM the other day and was well worth seeing. Had heard about it but had never seen it. I thought it was a good example of Jimmy Stewart's work in earlier films before he became a big star.But as much as I enjoy and admire Jimmy Stewart, I thought Margaret Sullavan took acting honors in this one. Showing depth and range, she went from cold and cynical to sensitive and caring - from a turn-off to someone to root for. I also thought the chemistry between the two was a plus.Stories like this one have been done many times in the past - country bumpkin meets jaded big-city veteran - but this picture had a unique charm about it that makes movie-going so enjoyable and rewarding. I rated it a well-deserved seven.

Dennis Schreiner James Stewart plays a naive hick soldier who falls for Margaret Sullavan and wants to marry her before going off to war. She is a selfish actress who undergoes a remarkable character transformation in his presence and, in a ridiculous plot turn, agrees to marry him, even though she is in love with Walter Pigeon (who's the best part of this movie) the whole time. It has something to do with keeping his spirit alive while he's off fighting. Or something like that. Stupid plot aside, the unsettling part of this is Stewart, who yet again plays a character so selfish and obsessive that he comes across as creepy and unappealing, despite (or perhaps because of)the outward singular innocence he's supposed to represent. His obsessiveness in Anthony Mann westerns and in movies like "Vertigo" were fascinating because his characters were supposed to be flawed and difficult. But in this movie and other early films like "Of Human Hearts" and "Come Live With Me" (the way he flips out in childish rage at Hedy Lamarr near the film's end, for example)I find him completely off-putting and have to remember his later films in order to remind myself that, yes, I actually do like him.

tsaro The Waldo Salt screenplay takes a small story and develops it into an affecting portrait of three surprisingly convincing and complex human characters, all of whom transcend the typical dramatic constraints of late '30s Hollywood. All three principals turn in excellent, low-key performances in perfect keeping with the film's narrative strengths. I find it particularly interesting to compare this with the other bookend to Salt's screenwriting career, Coming Home, also a character-driven story that revolves around the complex, three-way relationship between a woman and the two men who love her in a time of war.

FilmCritic-3 After seeing Margaret Sullivan and James Stewart hit it off so well in The Shop Around The Corner (A film that is the ultimate in charm), I looked forward to seeing their early film together, The Shopworn Angel. This film was sort of a disappointment for me, even with James Stewart in it (One of my all-time favorite actors).James Stewart plays a WWI soldier who is sent to New York for basic training. After being nearly run over by well-known actress Daisy Heath (Margaret Sullivan), he asks Daisy to pretend to be his girl just to impress his friends at the camp, but then a real romance forms.I have one question for this film and that is, what romance? There was little to no chemistry between Stewart and Sullivan that I could see.Stewart fans, take warning. Watch with caution.