twhiteson "Smiling Jim" was William Holden's disparaging name for the characters he was usually assigned throughout the 1940's. Those characters were mostly insipid twits whose depth was puddle deep and whose only purpose was to be pleasant and smiling.There is no better example of a "Smiling Jim" role than "Lt. William Seacroft" in this forgotten piece of WW2 era fluff. Based on a popular wartime stage play by Norman Krasna (who should have been credited for the story of William Wyler's 1953 "Roman Holiday" because it's pretty much a remake of 1943's "Princess O'Rourke" for which Krasna won a screen-writing Oscar), "Dear Ruth" introduces the "Wilkins" family: father (Edward Arnold), mother (Mary Philips) and two daughters: "Ruth" (Joan Caulfield), a bank employee in her early 20's, and "Miriam" (Mona Freeman)- a teenage activist who has really taken aiding the war effort to heart. It's Miriam's activism that sets everything in motion. Besides petitioning the War Department to allow women to be drafted and volunteering her father as a blood donor, she's also taken to writing airman Seacroft encouraging him to greater efforts against the enemy. However, Miriam knew that her age would limit the effectiveness of her letter writing campaign. So, she used Ruth's name and enclosed Ruth's photo for good emphasis. Ruth, of course, is a knock-out whose looks quickly ensnare Lt. Seacroft into a lengthy correspondence with Miriam. He's so entranced that he volunteers for hazardous duty so he can get a two-day leave to go courting Ruth stateside.Thus, Lt. Seacroft shows-up unannounced on the Wilkins' doorstep to the bewilderment of everyone except Miriam. Upon discovering why he's there wartime contingencies demand that everyone play along that Ruth actually did write those letters in order to avoid hurting Seacroft's feelings. However, Seacroft isn't there just for a meet-and-greet, but to propose. Most of the comedy comes from the alleged "hilarity" caused by the fact that Ruth is already engaged to her fussy, thirty-something year old 4F boss, "Albert Kummer" (Billy De Wolfe). Various hi-jinks and misunderstandings accrue before everything is sorted out at film's end.I found this film's stage origins to be too obvious and the plot too far fetched and predictable to be interesting. The biggest problem is there is no contest between Lt. Seacroft and his alleged rival, Kummer. Let's see, on one hand, we have Seacroft a decorated officer and war hero, who is also extremely handsome and charming, and, on the other, we have Kummer- a homely, boring fuddy-duddy who works in the despised banking profession and is 4F due to an alleged bad back. Also, it's quite obvious that Kummer plays for the Pink Team. The question really isn't whether Ruth will choose Seacroft over Kummer, but what in heaven's name did she ever see in Kummer in the first place? (Also, it appears that Ruth's "gaydar" badly malfunctioned.)Overall, William Holden as Smiling Jim, oh, I meant Seacroft, is charming. Joan Caulfield is pretty. Edward Arnold has fun playing a put-upon but understanding father. And Billy De Wolfe is amusing despite being hopelessly miscast. However, the film's predictability and its reliance on too many far-fetched misunderstandings for its humor eventually got pretty tiresome.

mark.waltz This Norman Krasna play of the war era was a surprising Broadway hit and makes for an above average domestic comedy where surprising performances and a charming light-heartedness make it much better than predicted. Joan Caulfield is Ruth, the 21-year old bank employee who still lives at home (with parent Edward Arnold and Mary Phillips, and pesky teenaged sister Mona Freeman) and finds herself the victim of an unintentional deception which the impish Freeman played by writing letters in Ruth's name to a lonely soldier (William Holden). Freeman, a teenaged champion of causes, is an amusing pest to everyone in the house who can't help but be bemused by her devotion to war causes, particularly her fight for peace and her devotion to the poor soldiers drafted all in the cause of freedom. Caulfield has somehow became engaged to bank executive Billy De Wolfe, a stuffy older man who gives impressions of interests other than in women, especially when being offered a drink and asked if he'd like it "straight". Holden shows up and all is revealed in time, and when Caulfield meets the lonely soldier on leave from Europe, she can't help but be charmed by him.The best performances in these types of films are those which really don't seem to be acted, and in the case of romantic leads Caulfield and Holden, they do their job so effectively it really seems as if they are real people, not movie stars giving a "performance". Arnold, of course, displays his usual boundless energy, showing that while more grandfatherly in appearance towards the two young girls, he still has what it takes to rule the roost, chew the scenery and steal the moment every chance he gets. But for me, the real star of the show is young Mona Freeman who takes what could be truly an obnoxious character and turns her into someone very likable. What Shirley Temple was doing at the same time shows the difference that less is more, and Freeman's ease in her portrayal makes for a much more tolerable character than Temple and certain other young actors were doing at the same time in films somehow more remembered today.There's lots of surprises here and a delightful adventure on the New York Subway is a comic gem, especially when De Wolfe gets his nose out of joint for something which got him a summons. This plot has been repeated so many times (with a nebbish young man loosing the pretty heroine to the handsome hunk) that it could have been a predictable generic sitcom like film, but the fresh writing, fast direction and amiable performances make this a delight from start to finish. Two sequels popped up after this became a hit and are curios to search out to complete the saga of this wacky family where the judge isn't always moralizing and the mother isn't always fretting for Andy Hardy to stay out of trouble.

dapplegrey13 This is a funny, tender film. I recommend it to anyone who is a fan of romantic comedies. It is where I first fell in love with William Holden. He is DELIGHTFUL here, to say the least. Dear Ruth has a great cast and it's well written. It's a funny and sweet tale of mistaken identity. A great family film. I've been suggesting it on TCM.com for years, but they won't play it so far. If you have a moment and have seen this film, please suggest it on TCM.com. I can't find it on DVD or VHS. I haven't seen it in 15 or 20 years or so, but I remember it well. It was unforgettable! Again, it is one of William Holden's most romantic, sweetest roles.

renfield54 Wonderful performances by all. Marvelously executed comedy. For those who don't already know, J.D. Salinger, the author, spotted the movie marquee heralding the stars of this movie, William Holden and Joan Caulfield. Thus, the inspiration for his character's name in "Catcher in the Rye", Holden Caulfield.Looking to the supporting cast, Billy de Wolfe gets to play the same character (or is it really him?),he always plays, prissy and particular. De Wolfe never fails comedically and is a major factor in taking this film over the top. The 2 sequels, Dear Wife and Dear Brat, were showcases for him. Even in the 1960's TV sitcom "Good Morning World", with Joby Baker and Ronnie Schell, de Wolfe's signature character still brought laughs.Now, to Mona Freeman. Although she never achieved major stardom, or any stardom in adulthood, she carved a nice niche for herself playing the precocious teenager in many films. Freeman made enough of a mark in her day to be immortalized (caricatured) in cartoons, just like the more recognize-able Bogey and Bing. Think about it, yup, that was her.In Dear Ruth, Freeman was ever the volunteer or manipulator. She ends up as a very positive female role model. Even more so because of the "place" of women in the 1940's. She was a very talented young lady. Freeman's interaction with her dad, Edward Arnold, is universal and timeless. A fine performance by Arnold "squeezes" all the humor out of what should be typical and predictable dad/daughter(s) comedy. Arnold was the perfect choice for the dad.This was a very funny ensemble performance. It's great family entertainment. Dear Ruth was deserving of 2 sequels....