Russian aristocratic exiles Grand Duchess Claudette Colbert & Prince Charles Boyer are living in poverty in France and Colbert goes out to steal food on a daily basis. They decide they need to take a job - about time - and take up positions as a maid and butler to a wealthy French family headed by Melville Cooper (Charles) and Isabel Jeans (Fermonde). This family also have a son and daughter who live with them who look up to the new arrivals. One evening, there is a dinner party where an old enemy of our exiled duo turns up. His name is Commissar Basil Rathbone (Gorotchenko).
Rathbone turns up way too late in this film and is immediately the best character on show. Everyone else plays for comedy and it just doesn't work. It's a lame screwball comedy with too many unfunny comedy characters and a truly daft script. We learn that Boyer has been given a fortune to look after by the outgoing Russian Tsar when the Revolution struck. And I mean a fortune! So why are they living in poverty and taking domestic jobs? This film is incredibly stupid.
Rathbone turns up way too late in this film and is immediately the best character on show. Everyone else plays for comedy and it just doesn't work. It's a lame screwball comedy with too many unfunny comedy characters and a truly daft script. We learn that Boyer has been given a fortune to look after by the outgoing Russian Tsar when the Revolution struck. And I mean a fortune! So why are they living in poverty and taking domestic jobs? This film is incredibly stupid.