The Model and the Marriage Broker (1951)

Directed by George Cukor. Starring Thelma Ritter, Jeanne Crain, Scott Brady, Michael O’Shea, Frank Fontaine, Helen Ford, Dennie Moore, Zero Mostel, Jay C. Flippen, Nancy Kulp, John Alexander.

Ritter takes center stage as a professional matchmaker with a wide array of clients but not much luck lately, including one (Brady) who just left his “match” at the altar, and after making the acquaintance of a model (Crain) involved with a married man, she sets out to convince the woman to forget the heel and turn her attention to the client with the cold feet. George Cukor’s sensitive sophistication provides veneer but no lift, and the second-tier leads (the would-be lovers) don’t sparkle, but in Ritter’s hands, it’s a wistful charmer more often than not. Anyone wondering when will it be Thelma’s turn need only wait for the closing scene, wonderfully handled by the actress. Although most of the “distractions” in the matchmaker’s life provide color and courtesy, they’re not all winners—Frank Fontaine’s portrayal of a childish simpleton of a Swede is borderline off-putting. Charles Brackett produced and co-scripted. Dennie Moore’s final film role.

66/100