This script would make a very good trailer

During her impressive career, Ginger Rogers had turned down many a role. Some of the parts she had refused were terrific parts, for example the female leads in His Girl Friday (1940), Ball Of Fire (1942), To Each His Own (1946) and The Snake Pit (1948). Ginger later admitted that she should have accepted these roles, but at the time she was waiting for something better to come along (the ultimate part that never came).

Ginger also rejected Bachelor Mother (1939). She hated the script and refused to do it, after which RKO production chief Pandro Berman suspended her without pay. Ginger eventually agreed to do the film, reluctantly. When the film was finished, she still didn't like it. Audiences, however, loved it and the film became a big hit, one of the biggest of Ginger's career.

Above: Ginger Rogers with Bachelor Mother's director Garson Kanin (middle) and Pandro Berman who suspended Ginger after she had refused to make the film. Below: Ginger and co-star David Niven in my favourite scene from Bachelor Mother.

Over the years Ginger grew to like Bachelor Mother, as is evident from the following memo sent to RKO's "Charlie" in May 1945. Ginger wrote the memo to reject another script that was offered to her, Make Way for the Bride. (Searching online, I found no film under that title, so I guess it was never made; and if it was, it must have been made under a different title without Ginger.) Having made very clear what she thought of the script, Ginger went on to mention several scripts she did like including Bachelor Mother (unlike Ginger, I have always loved that film). She concludes the memo by mentioning two other films she made deserving of a "rousing raspberry", i.e. Having Wonderful Time (1938), co-starring Douglas Fairbanks Jr., and Lucky Partners (1940), co-starring Ronald Colman.

Transcript:

Memo from Ginger Rogers

5-19-45

Dear Charlie...

I hereby return the script you sent me, "Make Way for the Bride", which I am tactfully renaming, "Make Way for the Broom". Unfortunately, I think the latter title is more appropriate. Get it? If you do, you may stay for the $64 question.

Personally, I think this script would make a very good trailer. In my opinion the writer made a mistake by not throwing away the original idea and starting fresh.

Here's to more scrips like "Kitty Foyle", "Tom, Dick and Harry", "Bachelor Mother" and "Vivacious Lady". And here's a rousing raspberry for scripts like "Lucky Partners", "Having A Wonderful Time"and last and really least, "Make Way for the Bride." Hope to see you soon.

Fondly,
(signed)

[The image above doesn't show the P.S. Ginger had added to her memo: "P.S.: Guess what? Morally and legally I do NOT like it".]

Source: Hollywood The Golden Years: The RKO Story

Ginger in three films she did like: (l to r): with James Stewart in Vivacious Lady (1938), James Craig in Kitty Foyle (1940) and Burgess Meredith in Tom, Dick and Harry (1941).