The secretary of a newly appointed government official strives to make him a success in spite of his shortcomings.The secretary of a newly appointed government official strives to make him a success in spite of his shortcomings.The secretary of a newly appointed government official strives to make him a success in spite of his shortcomings.
Demetrius Alexis
- Businessman
- (uncredited)
Harry A. Bailey
- Senator
- (uncredited)
Joseph E. Bernard
- Workman
- (uncredited)
Edward Biby
- Hearing Spectator
- (uncredited)
June Booth
- Secretary
- (uncredited)
Patti Brill
- Girl in Hotel Lobby
- (uncredited)
Tom Burton
- Reporter
- (uncredited)
Chester Carlisle
- Businessman
- (uncredited)
- Director
- Writers
- All cast & crew
- Production, box office & more at IMDbPro
Storyline
Did you know
- TriviaOlivia de Havilland absolutely hated her role in the film. She had not wanted to star in it in the first place, but was forced to due to an arrangement - intended to punish her after she protested against working conditions on Princess O'Rourke (1943) - in which Warner Bros. loaned her services to David O. Selznick, who turned her over to RKO. Her distaste for the arrangement is evident in the wide variety of grimaces, smirks and other expressions she used in an attempt to avoid creating a character of any depth or credibility.
- GoofsWhen Ed and Smokey are on the motorcycle, Ed cuts across the park on the lawn saying that it is a shortcut. A few seconds later, he asks Smokey for directions. So he couldn't have taken a shortcut if he didn't know where he was going.
- Quotes
Smokey Allard: I hope there's no poison ivy in the garden!
- Crazy creditsOpening credits are shown over the Capitol building.
- ConnectionsFeatured in Red Hollywood (1996)
- SoundtracksBridal Chorus (Here Comes the Bride)
(1850) (uncredited)
from "Lohengrin"
Written by Richard Wagner
Played in the score for the wedding
Featured review
Revealing but not very Amusing
If you're looking for laughs, this comedy may disappoint. Surprisingly, the usually restrained De Havilland over-acts egregiously, just about chewing up the scenery in the process. As Smokey, the government girl, it's like she's trying much too hard. On the other hand, the much derided Sonny Tufts comes off best in a slyly bemused performance as the can-do industrialist. At a comedy level, the movie's uneven, at best.
As a glimpse of wartime Washington, however, the movie delivers in revealing ways. Note the unusually crowded scenes in the early part. Newly arriving office workers mix with service men and women, all flocking to staff the explosion of paper work. Naturally, the sudden influx creates a room shortage, which the movie amusingly illustrates with the frustrated newly-weds. There's also the gossipy intrigue of the high-class salons and drawing rooms, where careers can be made or broken. Then there's Brown's (Tufts) tussle with red tape, while trying to get his bomber production up and running. And, of course, the year being 1943, it all ends with a patriotic flyover presaging the Allied victory to come.
Not many wartime films deal with the administrative phase of the war effort. This, I believe, is one of the few, and from that standpoint the movie remains an interesting, if rather frantic, curiosity.
As a glimpse of wartime Washington, however, the movie delivers in revealing ways. Note the unusually crowded scenes in the early part. Newly arriving office workers mix with service men and women, all flocking to staff the explosion of paper work. Naturally, the sudden influx creates a room shortage, which the movie amusingly illustrates with the frustrated newly-weds. There's also the gossipy intrigue of the high-class salons and drawing rooms, where careers can be made or broken. Then there's Brown's (Tufts) tussle with red tape, while trying to get his bomber production up and running. And, of course, the year being 1943, it all ends with a patriotic flyover presaging the Allied victory to come.
Not many wartime films deal with the administrative phase of the war effort. This, I believe, is one of the few, and from that standpoint the movie remains an interesting, if rather frantic, curiosity.
helpful•40
- dougdoepke
- May 18, 2012
Details
- Runtime1 hour 34 minutes
- Color
- Aspect ratio
- 1.37 : 1
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