History Film / TheMajorAndTheMinor

* HeroesWantRedheads: Major Kirby notices that Applegate's hair is like "a daisy in a field of uniforms."

* AdultsDressedAsChildren: See that poster?
* {{Catchphrase}}: Pamela's "how utterly beguiling!"

* DeadpanSnarker:
** Oh, "[=SuSu=]".
** Lucy, too:
--->'''Susan''': Kirby may have a bum eye, but he's not stone blind.
--->'''Lucy''': My dear child, love is a very astigmatic condition.

--->'''Cadet Lt. Miller''': Yeah, they all think they're Veronica Lake. Look. ''[cue to all the girls turning their heads, all with the [[PeekABangs exact same hairdo]]]''

* HollywoodKiss: The ever so famous fade-out kiss.

* InnocentCohabitation: Susan shares a train compartment with Major Kirby overnight, but the fact that he thinks she's twelve means nothing happens.

-->'''Major Kirby''': ''Stop. "As we cannot proceed on account of high water, I'm taking her home with me."''

-->'''Major Kirby''': ''Stop. As we cannot proceed on account of high water, I'm taking her home with me.''

-->'''Major Kirby''': ''Stop. Don't worry. Signed Kirby.'' Will that fix it?

-->'''Major Kirby''': Well, how 'bout, uh, ''Met your daughter on train and looked out for her last night...''"

--->'''Cadet Lt. Miller''': Yeah, they all think their Veronica Lake. Look. ''[cue to all the girls turning their heads, all with the [[PeekABangs exact same hairdo]]]''

Said academy happens is run by Colonel Hill (Edward Fielding), whose daughter Pamela (Rita Johnson) just happens to be Kirby's fiancée. Pamela is actively thwarting Kirby's desire to return to active service, so that she can have a lovely wedding and long honeymoon, and the couple can remain stateside. Unfortunately, Kirby, who wants to be more active in the service, doesn't know anything about this deception.

While running away from suspicious conductors after she's caught smoking, Susan meets Major Philip Kirby (Creator/RayMilland), who actually believes she's twelve, and offers her the spare berth for the night. But the train is stopped by a flooded bridge, and Kirby naturally can't leave an "underage" girl stranded all by herself, so he convinces her to stay at the nearby military academy where he works.

''The Major and the Minor'' is a 1942 ScrewballComedy that was Creator/BillyWilder's directorial debut in the United States.

How will Susan survive in this academy full of horny boys, especially with her own feelings for Major Kirby growing? Ah, let the {{screwball comedy}} answer it for you.

While running away from suspicious conductors after being caught smoking, Susan meets Major Kirby (Creator/RayMilland), who actually believes she's twelve, and offers her the spare berth for the night. But the train becomes inoperable due to a flooded bridge, and Kirby naturally can't leave an "underage" girl stranded all alone, so he convinces her to stay at the nearby military academy where he works.

At the academy, Susan finda an unexpected ally in Lucy (Diana Lynn), Pamela's younger sister, in whose room she's staying. Lucy is interested in science, and can tell that [=SuSu=] couldn't ''possibly'' be twelve (her calves have no baby fat and her smile lines are too deep).

-->'''Susan:''' I'll try and be a better lightbulb, Uncle Phillip.

-->'''Susan Applegate:''' I'll try and be a better lightbulb, Uncle Phillip.

* ZanyScheme: Susan dressing up as 12 year old just to get half fare.

* TakeThat: Early in the film, a girl mentions that she wants to buy a movie magazine where the lead story is "Why I Hate Women, by Charles Boyer." Wilder had clashed with Boyer the previous year when the actor refused to do a scene Wilder had co-written for ''Film/HoldBackTheDawn''.

How will Susan survive in this academy full of horny boys, and with her own feelings for Major Kirby growing? Ah, let the screwball comedy answer it for you.

Susan "[=SuSu=]" Applegate (Creator/GingerRogers) is a twenty-something who is disappointed with her job prospects in New York City and decides to return home to Iowa. Finding that the train fare is more than she can afford, she disguises herself as a twelve-year-old girl to buy a child's half-fare ticket.

While running away from suspicious conductors after they catch her smoking, Susan meets Major Kirby (Creator/RayMilland), who actually believes she's twelve, and offers her the spare berth for the night. But the train becomes inoperable due to a flooded bridge, and Kirby naturally can't leave an "underage" girl stranded all alone, so he convinces her to stay at the nearby military academy where he works.

* TheFilmOfThePlay: Billy Wilder and Charles Brackett loosely based their screenplay on the 1923 play ''Connie Goes Home'' by Edwin Childs Carpenter.

* TheRemake: Remade in 1955 as ''You're Never Too Young'', a vehicle for Martin and Lewis with Creator/JerryLewis in [[GenderFlip Rogers' role]].

[[quoteright:300:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/The_Major_and_the_Minor_8872.jpg]]

''The Major and the Minor'' is a 1942 ScrewballComedy that was Creator/BillyWilder's directorial debut in the United States. Creator/GingerRogers plays Susan "[=SuSu=]" Applegate, a twentysomething who is disappointed with job prospects in New York and wants to return home. Alas, the train fare has gone up in the interim, and she must disguise herself as a twelve-year-old girl to buy a child's half-fare ticket.

Susan, running away from suspicious conductors, meets Major Kirby (Creator/RayMilland) who actually thinks she's twelve, and offers her the spare berth for the night. But the train becomes stranded due to a flooded bridge, and Kirby can't leave a young girl on a stranded train all alone, so he convinces her to stay at the military academy where he works--conveniently near.

Who runs the military academy? None other than Colonel Hill (Edward Fielding), whose daughter Pamela (Rita Johnson) is Kirby's fiancee. Pamela is actively thwarting Kirby's desire to return to active service, so that she can have a lovely wedding, long honeymoon, and stay stateside. Unfortunately, Kirby wants to be more active in the service and doesn't know anything about this deception.

At the academy, Susan has an unexpected ally in Lucy (Diana Lynn), Pamela's younger sister, in whose room she's staying. Lucy is interested in science, and can tell that [=SuSu=] couldn't ''possibly'' be twelve (her calves have no baby fat and her smile lines are too deep).

How will Susan survive this academy full of horny boys, and with her own feelings for Major Kirby growing? Ah, let the screwball comedy answer it for you.

* HornedHairdo: Pamela wears victory rolls, reflecting her cold and mean-spirited personality.

* YourCheatingHeart: Averted. Pamela thinks this is the case when she finds "[=SuSu=]" in Kirby's compartment, but it turns out he was just helping the "kid" out.

* MistakenForProstitute: The elevator boy in the opening scene doesn't believe Susan when she says she's going up to a strange man's apartment to give him a scalp massage.

--->'''Elevator Boy''': [[SarcasmMode Ain't it awful the way a fella's scalp dries out this time of year?]]