Is this a rom-com or a musical or a comedy? It's all of these, it's a wonderful example of exactly what Warner Brothers used to do. It's absolutely formulaic but also absolutely delightful.
Although not actually a musical, the crazy plot enables a fantastic Busby Berkeley sequence to be shoe-horned into its joyous nonsense. That choreographed sequence doesn't involve any dancing, it's designed to be "A celebration of the beauty of the girl's face" and it certainly fulfils that ambition. Essentially it's fifty gorgeous blonde girls in tiny bikinis waving fans of ostrich feathers around. Whilst not p.c. These days, it's done so beautifully that even the most fervent feminists would abandon their 21st century sensibilities and just gaze at this loveliness in complete awe. Only the presence of Toby Wing could have made this even better but we mustn't be greedy!
The plot itself is very different to the 'real' Busby Berkeley films. Here we're not struggling to make ends meet in the Depression, we're in Paris but those stock WB characters are still there. For example, everyone who's wealthy in Warner World (except the WB executives of course) is a pompous top-hatted idiot who deserves to be fleeced. This makes it easier to justify our heroes' criminal activities - they're actually stealing from hard working designers but let's not dwell on that. William Powell is just too nice to be bad.... I'm sure even if he'd murdered FDR he'd still get off because his defence in court would simply be: but I'm William Powell.
Everyone else in the cast gels together perfectly too. Frank McHugh has never been funnier and ...I can't believe I'm saying this.....Hugh Herbert is also really funny too. And although the role was crying out to be played by Joan Blondell, Bette Davis is pretty good. She famously hated this, preferring to play 'serious' roles like miserable Mildred in OF HUMAN BONDAGE where she demonstrated the worst English accent ever done in a motion picture. She's much more fun and indeed credible in this.
Director William Dieterle keeps the lively plot buzzing along so fast that you don't question the silliness of it - it's pure fun. The plot is actually quite secondary to the feel of this. Creating that warm, optimistic and joyful feel is something WB had honed over the past few years so it is guaranteed to make you feel happy. This is a film you don't need to have your brain switched on to watch. Indeed, you could have been smoking the cigarettes William Powell was distributing in JEWEL ROBBERY and still enjoy it. It lives only in the present, only at the moment - no past plot points to remember, it's just what's happening now that is important. That reassurance of easy viewing lets the part of your brain that does criticism and credibility switch off allowing the rest of you to be taken on tried and tested emotional railway tracks.
Although not actually a musical, the crazy plot enables a fantastic Busby Berkeley sequence to be shoe-horned into its joyous nonsense. That choreographed sequence doesn't involve any dancing, it's designed to be "A celebration of the beauty of the girl's face" and it certainly fulfils that ambition. Essentially it's fifty gorgeous blonde girls in tiny bikinis waving fans of ostrich feathers around. Whilst not p.c. These days, it's done so beautifully that even the most fervent feminists would abandon their 21st century sensibilities and just gaze at this loveliness in complete awe. Only the presence of Toby Wing could have made this even better but we mustn't be greedy!
The plot itself is very different to the 'real' Busby Berkeley films. Here we're not struggling to make ends meet in the Depression, we're in Paris but those stock WB characters are still there. For example, everyone who's wealthy in Warner World (except the WB executives of course) is a pompous top-hatted idiot who deserves to be fleeced. This makes it easier to justify our heroes' criminal activities - they're actually stealing from hard working designers but let's not dwell on that. William Powell is just too nice to be bad.... I'm sure even if he'd murdered FDR he'd still get off because his defence in court would simply be: but I'm William Powell.
Everyone else in the cast gels together perfectly too. Frank McHugh has never been funnier and ...I can't believe I'm saying this.....Hugh Herbert is also really funny too. And although the role was crying out to be played by Joan Blondell, Bette Davis is pretty good. She famously hated this, preferring to play 'serious' roles like miserable Mildred in OF HUMAN BONDAGE where she demonstrated the worst English accent ever done in a motion picture. She's much more fun and indeed credible in this.
Director William Dieterle keeps the lively plot buzzing along so fast that you don't question the silliness of it - it's pure fun. The plot is actually quite secondary to the feel of this. Creating that warm, optimistic and joyful feel is something WB had honed over the past few years so it is guaranteed to make you feel happy. This is a film you don't need to have your brain switched on to watch. Indeed, you could have been smoking the cigarettes William Powell was distributing in JEWEL ROBBERY and still enjoy it. It lives only in the present, only at the moment - no past plot points to remember, it's just what's happening now that is important. That reassurance of easy viewing lets the part of your brain that does criticism and credibility switch off allowing the rest of you to be taken on tried and tested emotional railway tracks.