This pleasant romantic comedy is aided greatly by the background songs by Noel Gay ("Me & My Girl") that gives it real atmosphere. The handsome Ivor Novello, once one of the most popular entertainers in England, plays a sleeping car attendant with a yen for the ladies who has a instant spark with madcap British heiress Madeline Carroll, mainly based on her slap across his face when he kisses her. He knows there's something there, and when she becomes desperate to find a French husband to keep her in France, she reluctantly turns to him. He's determined to teach her a lesson as she makes demands on him to make their marriage appear valid which he intends to collect on.
With a girl in every station, Novello doesn't seem marriage material, but like other playboy/he-men and sophisticated, uppity socialite romantic comedies, it's obvious that sparks will fly even though she's a bit of a shrew and he's a bit of a rogue. Obviously, they were thrown together for a reason, and after a while, they can't deny that the sparks of love/hate are based on real passion, and she secretly likes him bringing her down a notch.
She's also initially very disrespectful to him, so "The Taming of the Shrew" like story becomes fun to watch unfold as she begins to melt and he turns into more of a gentleman. Supporting cast members Kay Hammond, Claud Allister (delightfully droll) and a young Stanley Holloway of "My Fair Lady" fame add a great deal of pleasure. Gorgeous art deco design and some nice photographic effects, particularly involving mirrors, adds greatly to the appeal, making this a sparkling discovery for me.
With a girl in every station, Novello doesn't seem marriage material, but like other playboy/he-men and sophisticated, uppity socialite romantic comedies, it's obvious that sparks will fly even though she's a bit of a shrew and he's a bit of a rogue. Obviously, they were thrown together for a reason, and after a while, they can't deny that the sparks of love/hate are based on real passion, and she secretly likes him bringing her down a notch.
She's also initially very disrespectful to him, so "The Taming of the Shrew" like story becomes fun to watch unfold as she begins to melt and he turns into more of a gentleman. Supporting cast members Kay Hammond, Claud Allister (delightfully droll) and a young Stanley Holloway of "My Fair Lady" fame add a great deal of pleasure. Gorgeous art deco design and some nice photographic effects, particularly involving mirrors, adds greatly to the appeal, making this a sparkling discovery for me.