Rich Man, Poor Girl (1938)

Usually, these types of movies are made to glamorize life in the lower class while condemning the ignorant rich, but in Rich Man, Poor Girl, the effect is just the opposite. Robert Young stars as a millionaire businessman who falls in love with his poor secretary, Ruth Hussey. He wants to get married right away, but she has the good sense to wait, insisting that when she marries, she wants to be sure she knows her spouse well enough to know they'll stay married. When he meets her low-class family, including parents Guy Kibbee and Sara Padden, silly sister Lana Turner, and outspoken radical brother Lew Ayres, he realizes there's quite a culture shock between their two lifestyles.

Bob is prepared to make their relationship work, so he moves into their very tiny, thin-walled, overheated apartment and tries to win every family member over one by one. The amount of effort he puts into Ruth's family is incredible, especially as he continually turns the other cheek when they insult him. In particular, Lew is very rude and not made out to have an admirable character, which serves as a great foil for Bob's character: a millionaire with a heart of gold.

This movie is very cute, funny, and will make anyone wish Robert Young would join their family. He's an ideal son- and brother-in-law, not to mention fiancé! Hopeless romantics will love this forgotten classic.

DLM Warning: If you suffer from vertigo or dizzy spells, like my mom does, this movie might not be your friend. There's a scene where Robert Young takes everyone sailing, and the camera movements will make you sick. In other words, "Don't Look, Mom!"