Miriam Wilkins has founded an association for rehabilitation of former prisoners, and her father is unknowingly the group's honorary president. As convict Mr. Baxter is set free on parole, Miriam she sees an opportunity for action. She hires Baxter as a gardener, allowing him live in a room over the garage. However, Baxter's sentence had been imposed by Judge Wilkins, now a senator, causing the situation in the house to become chaotic.
In March 1950, Paramount announced a sequel to Dear Wife called Dear Mom. Arthur Sheekman and Jack Sher were assigned to write the script and Robert Welsch was to produce.[3] In August, Norman Z. McLeod was suspended by Paramount for refusing to direct the film.[4] That same month, the project was retitled Dear Brat. It was to be based on an original story by Deverey Freeman and produced by Mel Epstein.[5] In October, Lyle Bettger was cast, but Joan Caulfield and William Holden, who had starred in Dear Ruth and Dear Wife, did not return.[6] Filming began on October 20, with William Seiter as director, and was completed by the end of November.[7]
^THOMAS F. BRADY (Dec 6, 1947). "PARAMOUNT PLANS 'DEAR RUTH' SEQUEL: Studio's Production 'Dear Wife' Will Use Available Members of Original Film's Cast". New York Times. p. 11.
^"R.K.O. ORDERS FILM ABOUT SUPER-BOMB". New York Times. Mar 11, 1950. p. 8.
^"PARAMOUNT PLANS NEW FILM FOR HOPE". New York Times. Aug 15, 1950. p. 25.
^Hedda Hopper's Staff (Aug 29, 1950). "Studio Plans a Third Movie on the 'Dear Ruth' Theme: Looking at Hollywood...". Chicago Daily Tribune. p. 22.
^"Powerful Heavy Bettger Changes Pace". Los Angeles Times. Oct 21, 1950. p. A7.
^"PARAMOUNT BUYS UNPUBLISHED BOOK". New York Times. Oct 21, 1950. p. 11.