This is a well directed, witty comedy from George Marshall, best known for a series of Bob Hope comedies. Fortunately, Hope was not cast in this one because Eddie Bracken is simply perfect as a befuddled kleptomaniac who steals without even realizing that he's stealing. This sets up several hysterically funny scenes, and the interaction between him and his valet, Willie Best, is outstanding. Best, a very talented black comic, was stuck with stereotypical servant roles, but his intelligence here as he keeps his boss from getting into trouble as much as he can is a step above those type of roles. Bracken's leading lady is Veronica Lake, not usually known for comic parts, but she utilizes her femme-fatale image in combination with the comic aspects of the script in creating a memorable character.
Bracken's kleptomania is ironically combined with Lake's role as a lady jewel thief. When he unknowingly steals her compact that contains a wall safe combination which holds a famous Russian necklace from the Romanov Dynasty, the stage is set for them to become involved, first as adversaries and later as a romantic team. It appears at first that Lake has no interest in Bracken other than getting her compact back, but she can't help but be amused by his innocent demeanor.
One of the funniest sequences has Bracken pulling a Harold Lloyd in an effort to hide from Lake's associates, ending up on the ledge of a high-rise building and eventually on the flagpole. A young lady sleeping in her bed is shocked to wake up to find Bracken (clad only in a sheet) begging to get in and starts plummeting him with everything she can get her hands on. Later, he ends up on the ledge with a drunk who has come to her defense leading to more delightful visual comedy. It's pretty racy considering that this was approved by the production code.
George Zucco has a funny scene as Bracken's therapist and Norma Vrden is very funny as a Billie Burke like society matron. In fact, her character has the same similar setup that she would later have in "Strangers on a Train". It is at this party where Lake and Bracken finally join forces and the chemistry seems to grow based on their shared flaws to where they can help each other recover. Albert Dekker and Donald McBride are also memorable in this comedy that starts off a little slow but ends up being very funny both verbally and visually, with the type of gags that you may not notice the first time but upon repeat viewings will pick up things that you missed before.
Bracken's kleptomania is ironically combined with Lake's role as a lady jewel thief. When he unknowingly steals her compact that contains a wall safe combination which holds a famous Russian necklace from the Romanov Dynasty, the stage is set for them to become involved, first as adversaries and later as a romantic team. It appears at first that Lake has no interest in Bracken other than getting her compact back, but she can't help but be amused by his innocent demeanor.
One of the funniest sequences has Bracken pulling a Harold Lloyd in an effort to hide from Lake's associates, ending up on the ledge of a high-rise building and eventually on the flagpole. A young lady sleeping in her bed is shocked to wake up to find Bracken (clad only in a sheet) begging to get in and starts plummeting him with everything she can get her hands on. Later, he ends up on the ledge with a drunk who has come to her defense leading to more delightful visual comedy. It's pretty racy considering that this was approved by the production code.
George Zucco has a funny scene as Bracken's therapist and Norma Vrden is very funny as a Billie Burke like society matron. In fact, her character has the same similar setup that she would later have in "Strangers on a Train". It is at this party where Lake and Bracken finally join forces and the chemistry seems to grow based on their shared flaws to where they can help each other recover. Albert Dekker and Donald McBride are also memorable in this comedy that starts off a little slow but ends up being very funny both verbally and visually, with the type of gags that you may not notice the first time but upon repeat viewings will pick up things that you missed before.