Two Warner Brothers contractees from the 1930's are reunited in this typical idea of younger girl/older man, and unfortunately, the female of the two old chums is not the young woman. She is, however, the shining supporting star of this colorful but unbelievable comedy where the male lead seems to think he's the cats meow for Hollywood's sweetheart, and it isn't a perfect match. Debbie Reynolds is miscast as a supposed juvenile delinquent, while 30's singing heartthrob Dick Powell plays the Oscar winning screenwriter who takes darling Debbie in as part of his research project. It is set over Christmas, so the holly and tinsel are colorfully aplenty, as are some campy costumes and even some songs.
The other old Warners star who ends up being the scene stealer is the former Torchy Blane, Glenda Farrell, who once paired up as a Laverne and Shirley style comic duo with Powell's ex-wife, Joan Blondell. Farrell is a delightfully funny dipso, mixing a martini with everything but vermouth and complains about the problems of sobriety. Powell's unfortunate sidekick (for the audience that is) is the unfunny Alvy Moore who slowed down the laughs on "Green Acres" and is dreadfully unfunny here. While Debbie scored with the older Gene Kelly, the chemistry with Powell is null.
A patronizing segment concerning the Academy Awards seems terribly forced. Anne Francis, pre-Forbidden Planet, is a scream (and screams a lot) as Powell's harpy girlfriend. But it gets pretty dull at times, suddenly livened by a wisecrack from Farrell, such as when Powell hands her a tiny Christmas present, to which she dryly replies, "I always wanted a mink coat." Debbie, supposedly 17 here, is closer to her real age than Powell is, claiming to be 35, which would have made him 13 when he made his film debut. It's cute in spots, but mostly corny, although some supporting players such as Maidie Norman, Ellen Corby, Les Tremayne and Lela Bliss (very funny in a bit as a drunk society matron) help speed things up. A surprise cameo is a nice touch, but it's not enough to elevate this overall.
The other old Warners star who ends up being the scene stealer is the former Torchy Blane, Glenda Farrell, who once paired up as a Laverne and Shirley style comic duo with Powell's ex-wife, Joan Blondell. Farrell is a delightfully funny dipso, mixing a martini with everything but vermouth and complains about the problems of sobriety. Powell's unfortunate sidekick (for the audience that is) is the unfunny Alvy Moore who slowed down the laughs on "Green Acres" and is dreadfully unfunny here. While Debbie scored with the older Gene Kelly, the chemistry with Powell is null.
A patronizing segment concerning the Academy Awards seems terribly forced. Anne Francis, pre-Forbidden Planet, is a scream (and screams a lot) as Powell's harpy girlfriend. But it gets pretty dull at times, suddenly livened by a wisecrack from Farrell, such as when Powell hands her a tiny Christmas present, to which she dryly replies, "I always wanted a mink coat." Debbie, supposedly 17 here, is closer to her real age than Powell is, claiming to be 35, which would have made him 13 when he made his film debut. It's cute in spots, but mostly corny, although some supporting players such as Maidie Norman, Ellen Corby, Les Tremayne and Lela Bliss (very funny in a bit as a drunk society matron) help speed things up. A surprise cameo is a nice touch, but it's not enough to elevate this overall.