It was the early 1950s, when a lot of young couples were moving to California in what has since been called "The Great Migration." It seemed to be a land of opportunity.
Glenn Ford is a young attorney who's doing fairly well at a Montana law firm, but who's clearly propping up some of the partners. His wife (Ruth Roman) sees his talents going to waste, and at dinner one night, having had a few drinks, she tells off her husband's bosses. All is more or less forgiven, but then she urges him to assert himself, one thing leads to another, and they decide to try L. A.
Arriving in California, they find that the home they had wired ahead to rent is unavailable. They end up in a rather seedy bungalow court, with a lot of telephones, because it's a former bookie joint. This figures in a whole series of misunderstandings, that should be funny (and occasionally, dangerous). And gets the couple involved with gangsters.
Meanwhile Glenn has been cramming for the California bar, along with law student Nina Foch, who gets him a job in the collection agency where she works to support herself. Glenn is not exactly the type to go after deadbeats. He even ends up helping out an aspiring French singer played by Denise Darcel. So now he has three attractive women in his life.
Lovely Ruth Roman is fine, in a change-of-pace comedy role, but Jean Arthur she's not. Darcel is cute and sexy, Foch is charming and attractive, and gives possibly the best performance in the movie. Ford is a good actor who sometimes overdid the shambling-mumbling-bashful routine, as he does here.
The final scenes give Glenn's character, Max, a chance to show off his legal skills in a courtroom, and it all ends happily.
Unfortunately, film is slightly contrived. I found myself wishing it had been simpler. Focusing more on how a young married couple adjusts to a new life in Southern California. In a more realistic manner.
Glenn Ford is a young attorney who's doing fairly well at a Montana law firm, but who's clearly propping up some of the partners. His wife (Ruth Roman) sees his talents going to waste, and at dinner one night, having had a few drinks, she tells off her husband's bosses. All is more or less forgiven, but then she urges him to assert himself, one thing leads to another, and they decide to try L. A.
Arriving in California, they find that the home they had wired ahead to rent is unavailable. They end up in a rather seedy bungalow court, with a lot of telephones, because it's a former bookie joint. This figures in a whole series of misunderstandings, that should be funny (and occasionally, dangerous). And gets the couple involved with gangsters.
Meanwhile Glenn has been cramming for the California bar, along with law student Nina Foch, who gets him a job in the collection agency where she works to support herself. Glenn is not exactly the type to go after deadbeats. He even ends up helping out an aspiring French singer played by Denise Darcel. So now he has three attractive women in his life.
Lovely Ruth Roman is fine, in a change-of-pace comedy role, but Jean Arthur she's not. Darcel is cute and sexy, Foch is charming and attractive, and gives possibly the best performance in the movie. Ford is a good actor who sometimes overdid the shambling-mumbling-bashful routine, as he does here.
The final scenes give Glenn's character, Max, a chance to show off his legal skills in a courtroom, and it all ends happily.
Unfortunately, film is slightly contrived. I found myself wishing it had been simpler. Focusing more on how a young married couple adjusts to a new life in Southern California. In a more realistic manner.