The Voice of the Turtle (film)


The Voice of the Turtle is a 1947 comedy film directed by Irving Rapper and starring Ronald Reagan, Eleanor Parker, Eve Arden, and Wayne Morris. It was based on the long-running 1943 stage play The Voice of the Turtle by John Van Druten. In the 1950s, it was re-released and shown on television under the title One for the Book.

Plot

It is December 1944 in New York City. Sally Middleton, a naive young actress, is jilted by her lover, a theatrical producer, for becoming too serious about their relationship. Heartbroken, Sally vows not to let herself fall in love again. Nevertheless, she agrees to a dinner date with Bill Page, an Army sergeant on a weekend pass, after Bill is stood up by her sophisticated friend Olive Lashbrooke.
When Bill has trouble getting a hotel room, he ends up spending the weekend at Sally's apartment, which is considered risque under the social mores of the time. Although Bill and Sally sleep in separate rooms, the arrangement creates awkward situations for Sally, especially when she finds herself developing feelings for Bill.
Olive, having at first set her sights on a Navy officer, has second thoughts and makes a play for Bill. But Bill has fallen for Sally, and eventually convinces her to set aside her fears and start a new romance with him, one that they both hope will end in marriage.

Cast

According to Warner Bros records the film earned $2,617,000 domestically and $499,000 foreign.

Critical Reception

Many critics compared the film to the original play, which finished its Broadway run one week after the film's release. Time magazine complained, "The movie is most coyly prurient where the play was most pleasantly candid," while the New York Times found the film version more satisfying because it was "morally wholesome and ideally romantic."