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Originally, SUSAN SLEPT HERE was meant to be a vehicle for young MGM starlet Debbie Reynolds, on loan to RKO.Debbie's co-stars were set to be hoofer Dan Dailey and rising star David Wayne. Although based on a play and produced and written by the co-playwright himself, there were multiple delays, causing Wayne to have to drop out due to a Broadway commitment. A search for his replacement led to Mickey Rooney but in that time, Dailey had to drop out to accommodate a Fox picture he was obligated to do. RKO owner Howard Hughes reportedly courted Cary Grant for the lead but settled on Robert Mitchum...who promptly walked out in a contract dispute. Somewhere along the way, Rooney fell by the wayside, too. Ultimately, Dick Powell was lured out of a self-imposed big screen acting retirement for this, his final picture. One of the great second acts in movie history, light comedian/singer/dancer Powell completely and successfully reinvented himself as a tough guy noir anti-hero and even then went on to morph yet again into a successful producer/director for television. Alvy Moore, who had replaced David Wayne in Broadway's MISTER ROBERTS, did so again here in the sidekick role and showed great promise himself.
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Colorfully directed by former cartoonist Frank Tashlin, it's the unlikely story of a 17 year old juvenile delinquent left to spend the holidays with a middle aged writer. As the screwball happenings of the weekend continue, although the writer really isn't a perv, he does begin to have feelings for his charge and she reciprocates, all leading up to a wonderfully bizarre musical fantasy sequence and some surprisingly naughty bits as we head toward the happy ending.