Film Review: They Won't Believe Me (1947)

Too Many Women Loved Him! is right . . . of course, I can't
really blame them for loving Robert Young.
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TCMDb:  A faithless husband is charged with a murder he didn't commit.

     Father doesn't know best in this exciting mystery of a will they, or will they not believe me?
     Some, the ones who've already seen this film, might wonder as to why I chose this film as being one of my Susan Hayward's Essentials. After all, in all technicality, it really is a Robert Young vehicle. I chose it because despite the fact that her role is small in scale compared to others, she's the catalyst for the premise of the picture.
     Larry Balantine is the sort of fella you probably shouldn't like, but nonetheless you do. He cheats, he lies, and he stays in a loveless marriage (at leat on his part anway) because of money. Yet, you get the feeling as though underneath it all, he's actually a really good guy . . . a good guy who just doesn't know how to learn that sometimes it's not life that has dealt you the bad hand of cards you've got, but rather yourself.

Skipper and Larry.
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     Robert Young as Larry Balantine is married to Greta, played by Rita Johson. If there was any love in the marriage on his part, it is gone; Greta, however, is obviously still very much in love with her husband. For reasons not given, however, Larry has fallen in love with Janice Bell, or Skipper as Larry sometimes calls her, played by the formidable actress Jane Greer. When his wife finds out about this, she, to the amazement of Larry (and myself), she agrees to let him go, but then, she mentions this house that she had just bought in California and how she had got Larry a job that she knew he had always wanted to, and he realizes (as do I) that she would do anything to keep him: she loved him that much. He also realized that while he didn't exactly love her, he did love her money. Greta agrees to forgive and forget if he'll stop his philandering. He agrees.

Larry and Verna: Dynamite.
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    His mistake, however, was for agreeing because it's while in California working for a company that he meets Verna Carlson. At first she seems to be exactly what she is: a Golddigger. She even admits that's what she is. But then, she genuinely falls in love with Larry, and Larry with her. Now, with the rules of the game changed, what are they going to do?
     This was a fantastic movie, and even though it's more of a Robert Young film, I believe that Susan Hayward given the amount of screen time that she has does a marvelous job and that's why I made it one of my Susan Hayward pictures. I give this film a 3.5/4 stars. If you are interested in seeing this film, which I recommend that you do if you whether you are a Susan Hayward fan, a Robert Young fan, or just a lover of films in general, TCM is showing this film Friday, March 30th at 5:00 EST.