Edmund Gwenn is an engraver who works for the company that makes most of the party invitations in Washington DC. He has a habit of taking a sample invitation for himself and using it to go to parties around town. He's become well-known to all the society people who are convinced that he's a retired admiral.
At one of these parties he meets Patricia Neal, who has crashed the party trying to find the Secretary of the Interior. She's in Washington trying to defeat a bill that threatens the nesting grounds of the California condor. Gwenn introduces her to Victor Mature, a friend who works as a lobbyist. He agrees to help her largely for ulterior motives, but while digging discovers that his company represents the company backing the bill ... in fact, he personally represents them.
Mature continues to offer Neal non-help help as a means of staying close to her, but eventually she uncovers his ruse and decides to leave town. Gwenn convinces her to stay and starts using his personal connections to do some grass roots lobbying on her behalf. He's so successful that the company backing the bill investigates him and finds out that he's a fraud.
I never would have pegged Mature as a plausible lead for a romantic comedy, but he's quite good. As is Neal in a rare comic role, but this is really Gwenn's movie all the way. The final act has him testifying before a Senate committee and there is serious "Miracle on 34th Street" energy.
There's an absolutely magnificent "come up to my room" joke between Neal and Mature.
At one of these parties he meets Patricia Neal, who has crashed the party trying to find the Secretary of the Interior. She's in Washington trying to defeat a bill that threatens the nesting grounds of the California condor. Gwenn introduces her to Victor Mature, a friend who works as a lobbyist. He agrees to help her largely for ulterior motives, but while digging discovers that his company represents the company backing the bill ... in fact, he personally represents them.
Mature continues to offer Neal non-help help as a means of staying close to her, but eventually she uncovers his ruse and decides to leave town. Gwenn convinces her to stay and starts using his personal connections to do some grass roots lobbying on her behalf. He's so successful that the company backing the bill investigates him and finds out that he's a fraud.
I never would have pegged Mature as a plausible lead for a romantic comedy, but he's quite good. As is Neal in a rare comic role, but this is really Gwenn's movie all the way. The final act has him testifying before a Senate committee and there is serious "Miracle on 34th Street" energy.
There's an absolutely magnificent "come up to my room" joke between Neal and Mature.