WISE Score
Avg. Tomatometer
Shirley Temple has a massive crush on Cary Grant, so her judge sister forces him to play along until the teenager finally gets bored of him.
7.278%
59
A charming, safe, and slightly bizarre relic of the golden age of Hollywood. Cary Grant is a comedic engine, and seeing Shirley Temple transition into a fast-talking teenager is a trip.
It’s a solid choice for a family movie night if your kids have the patience for a black-and-white classic. It’s smart and funny, though you’ll definitely need to explain that 'dating' in 1947 meant something very different (and much more supervised) than it does now.
Best for kids 10 and up. Younger kids will likely be bored by the legal subplots and the romantic misunderstandings, but middle schoolers can appreciate the 'cringe' comedy of an adult trying to fit in with teens.
A classic screwball comedy that values family and integrity, even while poking fun at teenage infatuation. It's essentially a story about a man doing the 'right thing' under ridiculous circumstances.
Standard romantic comedy structure for the era, though the 'man with the power' wordplay and the high school track meet sequence show some creative flair.
Extremely safe by modern standards. No violence or gore. The premise involves a grown man 'dating' a teen, but it is strictly platonic, court-ordered, and designed to be an embarrassing deterrent.
Offers a great window into 1940s social dynamics and the birth of 'teen culture.' Excellent for building vocabulary and film literacy.
If you've ever heard the 'You remind me of a man / What man? / The man with the power' rhyme (famously used in Labyrinth), this is where it originated. The movie is packed with these rhythmic, repetitive slang bits that defined the 'bobby-soxer' era. It's a fascinating look at a moment in time when 'teenagers' were first being recognized as a distinct demographic with their own weird language and social rituals.
Cary Grant plays Richard Nugent, a playboy artist who gets caught in a classic screwball trap. Myrna Loy is the stern Judge Margaret Turner, who decides the best way to cure her sister Susan’s (Shirley Temple) crush is to make Nugent a constant, exhausting presence in her life.
While the setup is dated, the comedy holds up because it leans into the universal awkwardness of an adult trying to stay 'cool' for a kid. Grant is willing to look absolutely ridiculous, whether he's competing in a three-legged race or trying to use teen slang that clearly doesn't fit him.
For a 2026 audience, the interest lies in the historical contrast. There is zero actual 'romance' between the adult and the teen—the movie goes out of its way to show Nugent is miserable and Susan is just in love with an idea. If you can get past the initial 'wait, what?' of the court order, it's a very wholesome, high-energy comedy that rewards attentive viewers with some of the sharpest dialogue of the 40s.
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