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IMDbPro

True to Life

  • 19431943
  • ApprovedApproved
  • 1h 34m
IMDb RATING
6.6/10
124
YOUR RATING
POPULARITY
182,195
10,923
Mary Martin, Victor Moore, Dick Powell, and Franchot Tone in True to Life (1943)
Comedy
A radio serial writer needs inspiration, so he rents a room from a typical American family and begins using their real-life exploits for plots. He begins to feel guilty when he falls in love... Read allA radio serial writer needs inspiration, so he rents a room from a typical American family and begins using their real-life exploits for plots. He begins to feel guilty when he falls in love with a pretty member of the family.A radio serial writer needs inspiration, so he rents a room from a typical American family and begins using their real-life exploits for plots. He begins to feel guilty when he falls in love with a pretty member of the family.
IMDb RATING
6.6/10
124
YOUR RATING
POPULARITY
182,195
10,923
  • See more at IMDbPro
    • Director
      • George Marshall
    • Writers
      • Don Hartman(screenplay)
      • Harry Tugend(screenplay)
      • Ben Barzman(story)
    • Stars
      • Mary Martin
      • Franchot Tone
      • Dick Powell
    Top credits
    • Director
      • George Marshall
    • Writers
      • Don Hartman(screenplay)
      • Harry Tugend(screenplay)
      • Ben Barzman(story)
    • Stars
      • Mary Martin
      • Franchot Tone
      • Dick Powell
  • See production, box office & company info
    • 4User reviews
    • 2Critic reviews
  • See production, box office & company info
  • Photos10

    Clarence Kolb, Charles R. Moore, Dick Powell, Harry Shannon, Franchot Tone, and Ernest Truex in True to Life (1943)
    William Demarest, Beverly Hudson, Mary Martin, Shirley Mills, Victor Moore, Dick Powell, and Robert Winkler in True to Life (1943)
    Mary Martin and Victor Moore in True to Life (1943)
    Mary Martin, Victor Moore, and Dick Powell in True to Life (1943)
    William Demarest, Clarence Kolb, Mary Martin, and Dick Powell in True to Life (1943)
    Mary Martin and Dick Powell in True to Life (1943)
    Mary Martin and Dick Powell in True to Life (1943)
    Mary Martin, Dick Powell, and Franchot Tone in True to Life (1943)
    Mary Martin, Dick Powell, and Franchot Tone in True to Life (1943)

    Top cast

    Edit
    Mary Martin
    Mary Martin
    • Bonnie Porter
    Franchot Tone
    Franchot Tone
    • Fletcher Marvin
    Dick Powell
    Dick Powell
    • Link Ferris
    Victor Moore
    Victor Moore
    • Pop Porter
    Mabel Paige
    Mabel Paige
    • Mom Porter
    William Demarest
    William Demarest
    • Uncle Jake
    Clarence Kolb
    Clarence Kolb
    • Mr. Huggins
    Beverly Hudson
    Beverly Hudson
    • Twips
    Raymond Roe
    Raymond Roe
    • Clem
    Ernest Truex
    Ernest Truex
    • Oscar Elkins
    Harry Shannon
    Harry Shannon
    • Mr. Mason
    Stanley Andrews
    Stanley Andrews
    • Frank, Bakery Foreman
    • (uncredited)
    Maxine Ardell
    • Bit Role
    • (uncredited)
    Jack Baxley
    • Man on Bus
    • (uncredited)
    Edna Bennett
    • Woman on Bus
    • (uncredited)
    Billy Bletcher
    Billy Bletcher
    • Radio Heavy
    • (uncredited)
    Danny Borzage
    • Beggar
    • (uncredited)
    Charles Cane
    • Expressman
    • (uncredited)
    • Director
      • George Marshall
    • Writers
      • Don Hartman(screenplay)
      • Harry Tugend(screenplay)
      • Ben Barzman(story)
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

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    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      Final feature film role for Mary Martin.
    • Goofs
      Hiding electronic equipment under a pillow, as Link does, would before long ignite the pillow and start a fire, due to the hot incandescent vacuum tubes needed to operate such equipment at the time.
    • Quotes

      Fletcher Marvin: Two days, two solid days and nights and we haven't written a line.

      Link Ferris: If we don't get an idea soon, Gabe can start pickin' cotton and you can get a job as a shoe clerk.

    • Soundtracks
      The Old Music Master
      Music by Hoagy Carmichael

      Lyrics by Johnny Mercer

      Sung by Dick Powell (uncredited)

    User reviews4

    Review
    Top review
    8/10
    A Solid Comedy
    Radio writers Fletcher Marvin (Franchot Tone) and Link Ferris (Dick Powell) are out of ideas, and in order to keep up their lavish lifestyle, they must get some, and quick. Link takes a walk one night looking for inspiration and he stumbles upon a pretty waitress working in a diner. Bonnie Porter (Mary Martin) is kind to Link, assuming he is penniless and in need of a good meal, and he quickly realizes she could inspire a great story. Bonnie takes Link home and the real story begins.

    Bonnie's family is the perfect specimen for a radio show. Her father (Victor Moore) is a hair-brained inventor whose inventions never work. Her mother (Mabel Paige) has a penchant for being particular about everything, and she dislikes Link instantly. Uncle Jake (William Demarest) is a loafer who refuses to speak to Pop. Twips (Beverly Hudson) is a lovesick teenage girl and Clem (Raymond Roe) is an aspiring doctor with a thirst for other people's blood. Link quickly realizes that by keeping the Porter family away from their radio, he can copy their lives verbatim into a program format, and the show becomes highly successful. Problems arise when Link begins to fall for Bonnie, and then Fletcher steps in.

    A fun movie from start to finish with moments of real genius, the only thing disappointing about True to Life is that it is so hard to find. The fine cast brings each character to life in such a way that they are believable but never boring. Powell is seamless as the protagonist and Tone is equally impressive as the antagonist. Martin makes an extremely enjoyable leading lady and it is too bad she didn't have a longer film career.

    There are three songs sung in this film, and all of them are rather well done. Martin sings the spirited "Mister Pollyanna" near the beginning of the movie and Powell adds "Old Music Master" and "There She Was" later on.
    helpful•5
    1
    • Maleejandra
    • Aug 16, 2008

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • December 24, 1943 (United States)
    • Country of origin
      • United States
    • Language
      • English
    • Also known as
      • Roligt nästan jämt
    • Filming locations
      • Paramount Studios - 5555 Melrose Avenue, Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, USA
    • Production company
      • Paramount Pictures
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Technical specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      1 hour 34 minutes
    • Color
      • Black and White
    • Aspect ratio
      • 1.37 : 1

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    Mary Martin, Victor Moore, Dick Powell, and Franchot Tone in True to Life (1943)
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