While I found Claudette Colbert in this too forcefully cutesy, every now and then her character shows the strength that women everywhere would soon have to learn as war would take their men away and put women in control of society. She's a frivolous journalist who wants to write better articles, and indeed if there was going to be a female version of Joel McCrea in "Foreign Correspondent", her character would be it.
Certainly she's remarkable as she rescues handsome pilot Ray Milland from being executed during the post days of the Spanish revolution. Their escape and flight while being chased by his enemies is quite riveting. Unfortunately the film then takes a romantic twist but not a good way into squeaky sappiness, and the overall impact of the film is slightly damaged.
Dealing with the fall of Paris during its last quarter and spinning to pre-war propaganda, this improves a bit, and Walter Abel as Colbert's boss is quite amusing. Dennis O'Keefe and Dick Purcell are the epitome of the macho American male, and character actor George Zucco gets a good laugh as the Spanish prison warden screaming for the phone, only to be reminded that he's holding it.
Decent writing by the not yet directing Billy Wilder, his words guided by Mitchell Leissen, who had just finished directing Preston Sturges' script of "Remember the Night". A decent but sometimes ponderous mixture of war drama, romance and silly comedy.
Certainly she's remarkable as she rescues handsome pilot Ray Milland from being executed during the post days of the Spanish revolution. Their escape and flight while being chased by his enemies is quite riveting. Unfortunately the film then takes a romantic twist but not a good way into squeaky sappiness, and the overall impact of the film is slightly damaged.
Dealing with the fall of Paris during its last quarter and spinning to pre-war propaganda, this improves a bit, and Walter Abel as Colbert's boss is quite amusing. Dennis O'Keefe and Dick Purcell are the epitome of the macho American male, and character actor George Zucco gets a good laugh as the Spanish prison warden screaming for the phone, only to be reminded that he's holding it.
Decent writing by the not yet directing Billy Wilder, his words guided by Mitchell Leissen, who had just finished directing Preston Sturges' script of "Remember the Night". A decent but sometimes ponderous mixture of war drama, romance and silly comedy.