My Own True Love (1948)

Interesting facts

My Own True Love is a 1949 American drama film directed by Compton Bennett and written by Arthur Kober, Josef Mischel and Theodore Strauss. The film stars Phyllis Calvert, Melvyn Douglas, Wanda Hendrix, Philip Friend, Binnie Barnes and Alan Napier. The film was released on February 2, 1949, by Paramount Pictures.

Production

The film was based on the novel Make You a Fine Wife. Paramount, who had already bought Golden Earrings by the same author, bought the screen rights in September 1946. Val Lewton was assigned to produce and Leonore Coffee given the job of writing the script.

Val Lewton had left RKO in 1945 to accept a contract with Paramount Pictures. He developed an adaption of The Cricket on the Hearth by Charles Dickens but the studio elected not to make it. Instead he was assigned to Make You a Fine Wife.

In December 1946 Paramount announced they had signed a contract with Phyllis Calvert — then in Los Angeles making her Hollywood debut with Time Out of Mind. She was to make six films, three over two years then one a year after that, starting with Make You a Fine Wife. In February 1947 Paramount announced the film version od Make You a Fine Wife would be called My Own True Love.

In April 1947 Compton Bennett signed to direct. By June Wanda Hendrix and Melvyn Douglas were set as co stars; they were the only Americans in the lead cast. Filming started in July. It was shot entirely in Los Angeles.

In September, while the film was still being shot, it was reported that the filmmakers had still not decided who Calvert's character should end up with. "In England we wouldn't worry about it," said Calvert. "It'd be either 'A' or 'U' and make big money."

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