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9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
A neglected comedy gem, December 24, 2010
This is a neglected, but very, very funny film. James Stewart is on the run from the police, but his troubles have hardly begun compared to when he runs into dizzy dame Claudette Colbert.
The scene in the apple orchard is simply side-splitting, with Colbert proving what a brilliant comedienne she could be.
This film is full of crazy characters, including Edgar Kennedy at his most incompetent. "Screwball" really is the correct word for this one, and it is up there with the very best of them.
I should point out that this is an official DVD-R download from Warner which played with no problems. However, it has to be said that the copy of the film used here is fairly poor with numerous picture faults. A copy from U.K. TV which I saw wasn't any better, so perhaps this is the best that has survived - which is a shame.
Don't let this put you off, because it would be unfortunate to miss seeing this brilliant film. Highly recommended with slight reservations.
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9 of 10 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
Worth a look, but should have been much better, July 20, 2010
It was hard to believe I had never seen this film before. In fact, I had never even heard of it. Jimmy Stewart, Claudette Colbert, a script by Ben Hecht? Leonard Maltin describes it as "very, very funny." I figured I was in for a real treat. Unfortunately, it turned out that there were good reasons for this being a rather obscure film -- it's just not very good. The main problem is the script. The idea is pretty good: Stewart plays a private detective who gets arrested while trying to clear a millionaire client of murder. He escapes and has various adventures with Colbert while on the run. Unfortunately, it's just not very funny (I don't know what Maltin was thinking). There is an over reliance on slapstick and physical humor -- Stewart wearing as a disguise glasses that he can't actually see through, his partner repeatedly getting hit on the head, and so on. Anyone looking for snappy dialog from Ben Hecht won't find it here. Much as I love Jimmy Stewart, his performances could sometimes edge into the shrill. That happens a number of times in this one, perhaps because he is trying to use the energy of his delivery to compensate for the weakness of some of the dialog.
If you are a 1930s movie buff, this one is worth seeing, but I give a disappointing 2 1/2 stars.
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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
An Enduring 1930's Comedy, October 10, 2011
When this film was made, Colbert had been around long enough to have had a year as highest paid actress in Hollywood and a year as highest paid performer. She was both a sure-thing box office hit and a highly respected professional. She was versatile: comedy or drama, she could do it all. Steward was acquiring versatility: he had featured with tough guy, Edward G. Robinson, and done comedy (and even a song) in a film with Eleanor Powell. He was fast moving into stardom,
Both show their comedy side in this dizzy dazzler, with Stewart as a private detective, on the way to Sing Sing (although it doesn't say so), who would do anything for a buck (or, as in this case, 100,000 bucks--more than a million in today's coin of the realm). Not to reveal any more than necessary, his path crosses with a daffy poetess, who becomes attached to him. The plot line: how is he to clear himself, while saving his client from THE (electric) CHAIR. Edgar Kennedy and Guy Kibbee are excellent in their patented comedic roles and Nat Pendleton is the epitome of the Dumb Cop. In a brief appearance, the virtuoso of innumerable radio roles (and later a frequent guest on the Jack Paar Show), Hans Conreid, is recognizable.
Most of the comedy is anything but subtle. Physical gags and outrageous mugging are the norm. So, too, are the expert comedic way with lines of both stars.
I wouldn't call this a classic film, if only because it does almost anything for a laugh. I would say that many people will find this 70 some odd year old film a pleasure.
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