The Tender Trap

A Movie Review by Magdalen Aithne Arkwright

Can a man be a louse without knowing it?

Charlie is a bachelor living in the city.  Joe is a married man taking a vacation from his marriage and visiting his old friend Charlie.  Joe is immediately fascinated by Charlie's many-girl life.  Girl after girl keeps coming into Charlie's apartment, but Charlie says classical violinist Sylvia is his number one girl.

Suddenly, Charlie finds young and budding actress Julie Gillis under his wing.  Julie Gillis is a woman with a dream of marriage and family, and she wants it in a certain way.  Despite her first rebuffs of Charlie's attentions - because it's "not part of my plan" - she suddenly seems to feel a chemistry.  Dinner and dates follow, and Julie Gillis' ideas of the perfect man begin to slip, until she discovers the truth about the other women in Charlie's life.  She gives Charlie an ultimatum: "You want me to marry you.  But first you want me to reform."  In indignation, Charlie brushes her off and storms out.

Joe, filling in for Charlie, has been taking out Sylvia.  Now he's convinced he's in love with her, and he is just about ready to leave his wife and three kids for her when Charlie storms in, all in a tither over Julie.  So Joe stuns Charlie with a revelation: Charlie's a louse.

Enter Sylvia.  Charlie, after his rude awakening, realizes his great treasure in Sylvia and, falteringly, asks her to marry him.  Sylvia accepts, and the three of them, in shock, proceed to plan an engagement party.  Charlie runs out to get more drinks and, before he gets back, is engaged to Julie.  What is he going to do about his two engagements?  And what is Julie going to do if she finds out?  Will Joe get the girl?

This movie is for an older crowd but is enjoyable.  Frank Sinatra plays a wonderful Charlie "in an off-beat, beat-up sort of way", and Debbie Reynolds plays Julie Gillis.  Their co-stars are David Wayne, Celeste Holm, and include Lola Albright.

Rating: T

Points: 10

~Meggy

*Available through Netflix*