Every Girl Should Be Married (1948)

In the golden age of romantic comedies, Every Girl Should Be Married (1948) stands out as a brisk, bright, and mischievously subversive entry. Directed by Don Hartman and starring Cary Grant alongside Betsy Drake—who would later become his real-life wife—the film explores courtship, gender roles, and the institution of marriage with a humorous, lightly satirical touch.

It is a film that seems, at first glance, to uphold post-war conventions about women’s roles and romantic aspirations, but closer inspection reveals a sly commentary on female agency in a patriarchal world. That it delivers this commentary wrapped in screwball charm, witty dialogue, and classic Hollywood glamour is part of its enduring appeal.

Plot Summary

Anabel Sims (Betsy Drake) is a determined, witty, and romantically fixated young woman who works at a department store in an undefined American city. Upon spotting Dr. Madison W. Brown (Cary Grant), a handsome and seemingly aloof paediatrician, she decides he is the perfect man to marry.

The problem? Madison isn’t looking for a wife—he's focused on his career and views Anabel’s forwardness with a mix of amusement and unease.

Undeterred, Anabel embarks on a single-minded campaign to win Madison’s heart (and hand), employing a variety of creative tactics: feigning disinterest, arranging strategic "accidental" encounters, enlisting her boss to pose as a romantic rival, and even seeking medical advice she doesn’t need just to see him. Her pursuit grows increasingly elaborate, all in the name of romantic conquest.

As Madison tries to stay one step ahead of her schemes, Anabel’s persistence begins to wear down his defences. The question becomes not if, but how long he can resist—or whether he wants to resist at all.

Performances

Cary Grant, ever the master of urbane comic timing, plays Dr. Brown with understated bemusement. While his character is less proactive than many of his more famous roles, Grant excels as the target of Anabel’s relentless campaign. He brings dignity and quiet wit to the part, turning what could have been a passive character into one of guarded charm.

Betsy Drake, in her first major screen role, is the revelation here. As Anabel, she projects an endearing combination of innocence, determination, and clever manipulation. Her performance avoids caricature; Anabel is never a fool nor a femme fatale, but rather a woman of intelligence and confidence who simply knows what she wants. Drake’s natural, unglamorous beauty and modern cadence made her stand out in a studio era filled with more stylized performances.

Their chemistry is palpable, no doubt aided by the fact that Grant and Drake were beginning a real-life romance during production. Their dynamic sparkles with gentle flirtation, frustration, and curiosity.

Franchot Tone, in a supporting role as the store executive Anabel ropes into her plans, is game and charming, playing the part of an unwitting foil to her romantic ambitions with gentlemanly ease.

Direction and Style

Don Hartman, best known as a screenwriter before moving into directing, brings a stage-like simplicity to the film. The direction is functional, keeping the focus on character interaction and comic timing rather than cinematic flair. The pace is brisk, and scenes transition with the rhythm of a good farce.

Though the film doesn’t dazzle with visual innovation, it makes smart use of its urban settings—stores, apartments, doctors’ offices—grounding the zany premise in a believable post war American milieu. The modest production design and straightforward cinematography allow the performances and script to take centre stage.

Script and Dialogue

Adapted from a short story by Eleanor Harris, the screenplay (by Stephen Morehouse Avery and Don Hartman) walks a delicate line between romantic comedy and social satire. The title, Every Girl Should Be Married, implies conformity to traditional gender expectations, but the actual content is far more nuanced.

The dialogue is witty and snappy, with several standout exchanges between Anabel and Madison that echo the great romantic comedies of the 1930s. Anabel’s speeches are particularly revealing—cleverly written to show her intellect and emotional precision beneath the girlish persistence.

Examples of playful, ironic lines:

Anabel: “A man is like a freight train. You have to jump on while it’s moving, or you may never catch it again.”

Such lines may sound dated to modern ears, but within the context of the film’s subversive tone, they’re delivered with a wink to the audience.

Themes and Subtext

At its heart, Every Girl Should Be Married is about the tug-of-war between romantic idealism and pragmatic strategy, especially as it pertains to gender norms in mid-century America. But it is also a celebration of female initiative.

Female Agency: Anabel defies the stereotype of the passive, waiting woman. She takes charge of her own romantic destiny, often manipulating the men around her, but never cruelly. Her quest may be marriage, but her methods suggest a proto-feminist spirit of self-determination.

Male Resistance: Dr. Brown’s reluctance to marry stems less from dislike of Anabel than from fear of entrapment—a familiar trope in comedies of this era. His resistance also highlights how traditional masculinity was often portrayed as emotionally reserved, in need of cracking open by the right woman.

Courtship as Strategy: The film presents courtship almost like a military campaign, with reconnaissance, feints, diversions, and psychological tactics. But it’s all in good fun, and the resolution is both satisfying and emotionally grounded.

Legacy and Reception

Released by RKO in December 1948, Every Girl Should Be Married was a commercial success, benefiting from Cary Grant’s box office appeal and the novelty of Betsy Drake’s fresh screen presence. While some critics found the plot lightweight, many praised the film’s charm and humour.

Over time, its reputation has grown among fans of classic romantic comedies, especially for its unusual inversion of gender roles in the romantic chase. For students of Cary Grant’s career, the film is a fascinating look at a more reactive, grounded side of his comedic persona. And for those interested in post war gender discourse, Anabel’s character is far more complex than she initially seems.

The real-life romance between Grant and Drake added a layer of curiosity to the film’s release. They married the following year (1949), and Drake would go on to co-star with Grant again in Room for One More (1952), a more family-centred dramedy.

Conclusion

Every Girl Should Be Married is a delightful, subtly subversive romantic comedy that cloaks a progressive message in traditional packaging. With sharp performances from Cary Grant and Betsy Drake, a script full of clever turns, and a tone that’s both cheeky and sincere, the film remains an underrated gem from the golden age of Hollywood.

Though framed around the pursuit of matrimony, its real subject is the power of a woman who knows her mind—and the man who learns to meet her on equal footing.

A sparkling, witty comedy that’s more modern in its ideas than its title suggests, carried by two stars at the cusp of real-life romance.