My Love Came Back is a 1940 romantic comedy-drama film directed by Curtis Bernhardt.
Amelia Cornell (Olivia de Havilland) is a talented young violinist who plays as first chair in the orchestra of the Brissac Academy, a New York school that nurtures young musical talent. Amelia studies at the academy on a scholarship but needs more money to support her family back in the country. She is on the verge of quitting the academy to join a swing band when she catches the eye of one Julius Mallette (Charles Winninger), a rich businessman and patron of the academy. Mr. Mallette, who is enchanted with the lovely young Amelia despite being married and twice her age, arranges to secretly pay her way at Brissac with a "special scholarship".
To avoid any potential embarrassment Mr. Mallette has Tony Baldwin (Jeffrey Lynn), a promising young executive at Mr. Mallette's company, cut Amelia's checks from Tony's own expense account. Meanwhile, Mr. Mallette starts sending Amelia gifts and squiring her around town to concerts, favors that the clueless Amelia happily accepts. When Mr. Mallette can't make a date that he has scheduled with Amelia, he sends Tony to explain. Tony and Amelia hit it off immediately and soon they are in love. But when Mr. Mallette's son Paul (William T. Orr) finds out about the checks going to Amelia from Tony, a series of misunderstandings ensue.
Jane Wyman and Eddie Albert, who would go on to be bigger stars, appear as Joy and Dusty, who are a couple and are also both Amelia's musician roommates.
Tropes:
- Anonymous Benefactor: A slightly squickier version of this than usual, as Mr. Mallette pays Amelia's scholarship, or rather gives her a redundant second scholarship, so he can see her pretty face and take her to concerts.
- Armor-Piercing Question: Near the end Amelia demands that Dusty tell Tony how he, Dusty, stole Amelia's $100 check. Dusty, clearly embarrassed, says "But he'll think I'm an embezzler or something!". Amelia calmly shoots back with "Well what would you call it?".
- Book Ends: At the beginning, Prof. Peyer is upset to look and see Amelia's first violin chair empty during a performance—she missed a train and is late to the rehearsal. At the end, Prof. Peyer is upset to look over and see Amelia's chair empty during the concert—she is in the courtyard making up with Tony.
- Dirty Old Man: It's a 1940 film but still. Mr. Mallette is obviously head over heels with Amelia, who is a good 30 years younger than he is.
- Forgotten Anniversary: Mr. Mallette is about to go out dancing with Amelia when his wife pulls him into the music room, his kids start playing "Here Comes the Bride" on the piano, and he suddenly remembers that it's his 25th anniversary. He has to miss his date, so he sends off Tony to make explanations, which is how they meet.
- The Ghost: Amelia pleads that she has to make side money giving violin lessons to support her mother and sister, who are poor and have doctor's bills. They are never seen.
- Hangover Sensitivity: Tony goes out for some Drowning My Sorrows after thinking that Amelia is actually The Mistress to Mr. Mallette, and he drags Paul along. The drinking isn't shown but the next morning a worse-for-wear Paul is downing some fizzy hangover medicine while Tony is lying on his couch with a bag of ice on his head.
- Hypocritical Humor: Dr. Kobbe and Professor Peyer, the crusty older guys who run the Brissac Academy, are shocked to see that their students, trained in classical music, are playing in a swing band. They are muttering disapproval when the music critic strolls over and says how much he loves the "fusion of the old and the new!". Immediately Kobbe and Peyer turn on a dime and say how it was all their idea and they're stoked about it.Dr. Kobbe: The Brissac Academy is always interested in the development of new talent!
- Idiot Ball: Amelia really is quite dim to never clue in on what might be the motives of a rich older man who suddenly is very interested in taking her out dancing and to musical shows and concerts.
- Immediate Self-Contradiction: Joy and Amelia are both jumpy as it's time to start the concert at the Mallette mansion, if for different reasons. Dusty says "Why don't you girls be like me? I'm not a bit nervous!". Then he knocks over his music stand.
- Meet Cute: Tony and Amelia meet when he has to go to the dance hall to tell Amelia that Mr. Mallette will not be coming. They wind up dancing the night away together.
- Mistaken for Cheating: After Tony finds out that Amelia cashed another $100 check and is seeing Mr. Mallette again, he thinks that she actually is The Mistress. It's all innocent; she was in the process of telling Mr. Mallette that they can't go out on any more dates, and it was Joy and Dusty who cashed the check.
- Sleep Cute: A shot shows Amelia conked out in the back of a cab, her head on Tony's shoulder, as they go home after having danced all night long.
- Talent Double: For most of the shots where Olivia de Havilland is playing the violin, she is only controlling the bow, while an off-camera violinist sticks a hand into the shot to do the fingering. A careful viewer will note that Amelia's left hand and forearm are at an odd angle other body.
- Time-Passes Montage: A quick montage shows Mr. Mallette taking Amelia to concerts and musical shows and such.
