Watching this film I was reminded of similar films by Frank Capra since this film has a different director but the same sentiment and similar themes. That's funny because Columbia originally promoted this as A Frank Capra production even though he wasn't the director! A frustrated executive, Jim Buchanan (played by Herbert Marshall) quits/takes a break from his job at a huge auto company, leaving the corporate world behind as they will not accept his ideas for new types of cars. This conception reminds me of some similarities in the 1991 Simpson's episode Oh Brother, Where Art Thou? (Season 2, episode 15). Back to the film, Buchanan meets a woman whom is down on her luck, Jean Hawthorne, played by Jean Arthur, on a park bench, with both looking through help wanted ads. From that, the idea is floated by Jean that they be a cook and butler together since she is a very good cook even though he knows nothing about being a butler. In fact, after they are hired he tries to learn how to "butle" from his own personal butler, sneaking away in the night.
This leads to a romantic and comedic movie. Jim, posing as "Jim Burns," and Jean posing as his wife, take on personas of sorts. He lives a double life and is planned to be married to another socialite named Evelyn Fisher (played by Frieda Inescort), but he does not tell Jean this. As such he is interested to hear what Jean has to say about Jim Buchanan as she has no idea it is him. Both Jim and Jean work for Mike Rossini, played by Leo Carrillo, and Flash, his right-hand man, played by Lionel Stander, whom seem to be gangsters/mafia type. Flash begins to suspect something is fishy about Jean but never delves into it much, but he does easily find out Jim's double life. He also questions their story because he sleeps out on the porch while she sleeps in the bed since it is custom for married people to sleep together. At the same time, Rossini tries to be sweet on Jean but she quickly rebuffs his advances.
As the film comes to a close, Jim's double life is exposed. Soon Jean finds out and is angry, devastated, but begs them to save Jim rather than killing him. Then, Jim is kidnapped at the altar by Rossini, Flash, and their thugs, leaving his wife-to-be at the altar, literally. He is brought back to the Rossini residence and said he has to marry someone. He is obviously the groom, but what about the bride? Well, it's Jean of course. She resists this and his packing her bags, ready to leave, but then Flash acts like he is shooting Jim so she opens the door in terror and flees to him. This makes me think that Jim planned this, telling Rossini and Flash this plan, with the idea they would capture him and bring him back to marry Jean. The only problem is this would involve telling them the truth about him, which could gave led to problems and it would assume that he knew that Jean loved him. But this is still a plausible theory.
Both Arthur and Marshall play off each other well in this movie, but Stander is the one whom plays comic relief, just like in the 1936 film Mr. Deeds Comes to Town, playing a similar type of role. This makes the movie a mix of romance and comedy. You could also say this has a sense of social commentary in that class barriers are not stopping them from working together, with Marshall literally being fluid between his posing as working-class to his life as a capitalist atop an automobile corporation.
With that, my review concludes about this riveting romantic drama, but only riveting enough to be a 9 out of 10 rather than a 10.
This leads to a romantic and comedic movie. Jim, posing as "Jim Burns," and Jean posing as his wife, take on personas of sorts. He lives a double life and is planned to be married to another socialite named Evelyn Fisher (played by Frieda Inescort), but he does not tell Jean this. As such he is interested to hear what Jean has to say about Jim Buchanan as she has no idea it is him. Both Jim and Jean work for Mike Rossini, played by Leo Carrillo, and Flash, his right-hand man, played by Lionel Stander, whom seem to be gangsters/mafia type. Flash begins to suspect something is fishy about Jean but never delves into it much, but he does easily find out Jim's double life. He also questions their story because he sleeps out on the porch while she sleeps in the bed since it is custom for married people to sleep together. At the same time, Rossini tries to be sweet on Jean but she quickly rebuffs his advances.
As the film comes to a close, Jim's double life is exposed. Soon Jean finds out and is angry, devastated, but begs them to save Jim rather than killing him. Then, Jim is kidnapped at the altar by Rossini, Flash, and their thugs, leaving his wife-to-be at the altar, literally. He is brought back to the Rossini residence and said he has to marry someone. He is obviously the groom, but what about the bride? Well, it's Jean of course. She resists this and his packing her bags, ready to leave, but then Flash acts like he is shooting Jim so she opens the door in terror and flees to him. This makes me think that Jim planned this, telling Rossini and Flash this plan, with the idea they would capture him and bring him back to marry Jean. The only problem is this would involve telling them the truth about him, which could gave led to problems and it would assume that he knew that Jean loved him. But this is still a plausible theory.
Both Arthur and Marshall play off each other well in this movie, but Stander is the one whom plays comic relief, just like in the 1936 film Mr. Deeds Comes to Town, playing a similar type of role. This makes the movie a mix of romance and comedy. You could also say this has a sense of social commentary in that class barriers are not stopping them from working together, with Marshall literally being fluid between his posing as working-class to his life as a capitalist atop an automobile corporation.
With that, my review concludes about this riveting romantic drama, but only riveting enough to be a 9 out of 10 rather than a 10.