Come Live With Me (1941) Film x Personal Connection

By Ellen Effy Su. August 3, 2025.

As I rewatch the 1941 film Come Live With Me, starring Hedy Lamarr, I understand both characters' perspectives better now.

I advanced my English by consuming media in copious quantities. Films, television series, novels, autobiographies, and published journals were more important to me than my real life. 

I wrote papers in school, but my inspiration to assimilate into American culture grew from consuming Hollywood films. From my toddler years, I learned how dangerous life becomes after the loss of money. In my youth, I watched war, famine, sexual assault, and countless other topics play out. 

I watched films released in the 1930s, 40s, 50s, and so on. Due to my parents' time constraints with me and their work schedules, I spent the majority of my free time traversing into the fictional worlds I saw on silver screens. 

Only a child raised without restrictions could be as free as I was. I was never confined to anything, which is different from traditional methods of child rearing. 

I share a love of history, art, literary figures, dance, tennis, squash, swimming, roller coasters, skiing, and I travel to see museums around the world. I enjoyed visiting the Catacombs in Paris as a 17-year-old, seeing the 2000-year-old cave art on display in Madrid, and trying out black squid ink paella. Delicious way to stain one's pearly whites!

My mother always told me I was her diamond; her most valuable treasure in this world. She called me extraordinary, and I believed her. My mother invested everything into me; her never-ending investment was priceless to her. 

I wonder how she became so kind when this world was callous to her child-self. 

I grew up privileged because my mother sacrificed her youth for me. My father missed out on years of my life; our home was solely a place to sleep, and he was never there for any of my piano recitals. 

I dreamed of more; of better, of vast, unattainable desires, because I had no concept of money. I grew stronger as an adolescent after removing my oversized cat-eye sunglasses to see the world for all of its unique beauty. 

My passion and zest for life have never wavered. 

I realized how happy I should be right now by seeing the characters in this film struggle and face adversity. They are joyful despite having nothing. 

I am not permitted to swim this month due to my wrist injury. This summer is less fun, but I am picking up my pen often. My teenage Machiavellian mind is serene nowadays. I feel zen. 

To the Buddhist monk at the top of Nanshan Temple in Sanya, Hainan, who asked what my calling in life was, I didn’t know how to answer you at thirteen. 

But I do have an answer today: my calling in life is to follow through on my word, fall in love with living, and give grace, for I need grace as well. 

I have come a long way. I am falling back in love with myself. I do not hope for a savior. I am the person I dreamed of becoming when I was fifteen. 

These are our glory years. That is what I learned from Come Live With Me.