Blind with rage and grief at her sister's suicide, Joan Bennett goes to the apartment of the man she believes responsible: Sidney Blackmer, her sister's married lover. Joan confronts him and after he shows no remorse, Joan shoots him and flees the scene. Wanted for murder, she changes her hair color from her normal blonde to a deep, rich brunette - a look that stayed with her the rest of her career. Personally, I prefer her as a blonde, but with her widow's peak, arched eyebrows, and spunky smile, she does look very much like Vivien Leigh. Then, she flees the country and sets the police on a chase around the world.
Thomas Mitchell is the head of the police force, and he knows there's only one man who can find the murderess: Fredric March. Freddie is a private detective who always gets his man - or woman! There are a lot of touch-and-go scenes where he almost catches up to her, and his clever mind entertains audiences to no end. It's very fun to see the playful, prankster side of Fredric March, since biographers will tell you that's how he acted in real life. He thinks on his feet, leads his colleagues down wild goose chases, and acts his way out of numerous pickles.
Of course, when he finally does catch up with Joan, there's a wrench thrown in: they fall in love. Is he pretending to woo her, just so he can arrest her? Does he even know it's her? Does she know that he knows, and is she playing him so she can get away? It's a sweet romance with a lot of humor on Freddie's side thrown in, but the fly in the ointment is Ann Sothern. She plays Freddie's ditzy secretary, and her amateur delivery combined with her enormous ego ruined any chance of a decent performance. She's paired up with Ralph Bellamy, who plays another detective: bespectacled, far too serious, and too busy looking far ahead that he can't see what's at the end of his nose. When first laying eyes on Ann, Freddie plays a joke by saying, "Dr. Livingstone, I presume?" Ralph doesn't get the humor, and he calls her Dr. Livingstone throughout the rest of the movie. If you don't mind the secondary pair, though, and you want a glimpse at the real Fredric March, check out Trade Winds.
Thomas Mitchell is the head of the police force, and he knows there's only one man who can find the murderess: Fredric March. Freddie is a private detective who always gets his man - or woman! There are a lot of touch-and-go scenes where he almost catches up to her, and his clever mind entertains audiences to no end. It's very fun to see the playful, prankster side of Fredric March, since biographers will tell you that's how he acted in real life. He thinks on his feet, leads his colleagues down wild goose chases, and acts his way out of numerous pickles.
Of course, when he finally does catch up with Joan, there's a wrench thrown in: they fall in love. Is he pretending to woo her, just so he can arrest her? Does he even know it's her? Does she know that he knows, and is she playing him so she can get away? It's a sweet romance with a lot of humor on Freddie's side thrown in, but the fly in the ointment is Ann Sothern. She plays Freddie's ditzy secretary, and her amateur delivery combined with her enormous ego ruined any chance of a decent performance. She's paired up with Ralph Bellamy, who plays another detective: bespectacled, far too serious, and too busy looking far ahead that he can't see what's at the end of his nose. When first laying eyes on Ann, Freddie plays a joke by saying, "Dr. Livingstone, I presume?" Ralph doesn't get the humor, and he calls her Dr. Livingstone throughout the rest of the movie. If you don't mind the secondary pair, though, and you want a glimpse at the real Fredric March, check out Trade Winds.