The Lady Is Willing

1942
Approved
1h 32m

IMDb RATING

YOUR RATING

Marlene Dietrich, David James, and Fred MacMurray in The Lady Is Willing (1942)

In order to adopt an abandoned baby, an actress arranges a marriage of convenience with a doctor.In order to adopt an abandoned baby, an actress arranges a marriage of convenience with a doctor.In order to adopt an abandoned baby, an actress arranges a marriage of convenience with a doctor.

See production info at IMDbPro

IMDb RATING

6.3/10

802

YOUR RATING

See production info at IMDbPro

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Storyline

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Did you know

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Trivia
Early in the shooting, Marlene Dietrich tripped while carrying child actor David James. She twisted her body to save the baby from striking the floor, but severely injured her right ankle in the fall, and her entire right leg had to be placed in a cast. That's why film she is always shown in full-length outfits (gowns, slacks, etc.) and just one shot of her unclothed leg is seen, and that is in shadow.

Goofs
After the date, when at home(at about 01:00:30), the glass and the bottle of milk exchange places in Fred MacMurray's hands when going to the baby's room from the kitchen.

Quotes
Mary Lou: [finding out champagne is made from grapes] It's not very purple, is it?

Crazy credits
The film's title appears on a billboard; and the opening credits are printed in a theatrical program.

Connections
Referenced in The Whistler (1944)

Soundtracks
I Find Love
Written by Jack King and Gordon Clifford
Sung by Marlene Dietrich (dubbed by Virginia Rees) (uncredited) and unidentified baritone

User reviews19

Review

Featured review

8/10

Lady is Willing and So Should You in Seeing this Film ***1/2

Wonderful 1942 film with Marlene Dietrich as a Broadway star who finds a baby and marries a pediatrician so that she can keep the baby. Of course, the story deals with them finding their way to love eventually as well as the situations they encounter such as phony parents showing up to take the child, and the doctor's first wife showing up to create further havoc.

Fred MacMurray is absolutely charming as the doctor and Dietrich showed how quite adept she was at comedy. Aline MacMahon co-stars as a wise-cracking assistant to Dietrich. This kind of role was normally assigned to Eve Arden.

Naturally, there is the end-of-film crisis where MacMurray has to operate and Dietrich sheds those tears. It's well worth it.