When I read the summary of the featured review for this film by Fisher Forrest, it sure said it all--"Ridiculous and trite, but it is fun to watch". I couldn't have summed the film up any better.
Claudette Colbert and Fred MacMurray starred in seven movies together and while they are all a lot of fun, this one is certainly pretty silly and trite. However, given the actors' ability to make even bilge watchable, this film turned out pretty good thanks to their professionalism and talent. With lesser talent in the film it might have struggled to even earn a 4 or 5--the plot idea is that silly and forgettable.
Claudette plays a woman a lot like Clare Boothe Luce, though instead of writing articles for "Life" and "Vogue", Claudette is a high-powered photojournalist. Her boss doesn't particularly like her, so he assigns her to to a photo essay on 'sandhogs'--men who build tunnels. It's a dirty job but not wanting to be seen as too temperamental, she agrees to the assignment. Once there, the film starts to become a bit goofy. You see, when she sees the über-macho Fred without his shirt on and muscles bulging, she is smitten with a desire to go slumming! And her infatuation only gets worse when she seems him get into pointless fights that make absolutely no sense and are so very contrived. Although Colbert is prim and proper and would never admit that she likes to see Fred kick butt, it's obvious to everyone she is smitten. However, it takes another hour until the completely expected final clinch to occur.
The biggest deficits in the film are the silly clichés and ridiculousness of the relationship between these people from two totally different worlds. I assume some studio exec must have noticed this, too, as towards the end you find out that Fred isn't really a sandhog but a talented engineer who happens to like working in the muck--making the pairing seem not quite so silly and vulgar (after all, he's a college graduate!). Fun despite the terrible dialog and plot. However, don't think too much when you watch this film, as it might make your head explode!!
Claudette Colbert and Fred MacMurray starred in seven movies together and while they are all a lot of fun, this one is certainly pretty silly and trite. However, given the actors' ability to make even bilge watchable, this film turned out pretty good thanks to their professionalism and talent. With lesser talent in the film it might have struggled to even earn a 4 or 5--the plot idea is that silly and forgettable.
Claudette plays a woman a lot like Clare Boothe Luce, though instead of writing articles for "Life" and "Vogue", Claudette is a high-powered photojournalist. Her boss doesn't particularly like her, so he assigns her to to a photo essay on 'sandhogs'--men who build tunnels. It's a dirty job but not wanting to be seen as too temperamental, she agrees to the assignment. Once there, the film starts to become a bit goofy. You see, when she sees the über-macho Fred without his shirt on and muscles bulging, she is smitten with a desire to go slumming! And her infatuation only gets worse when she seems him get into pointless fights that make absolutely no sense and are so very contrived. Although Colbert is prim and proper and would never admit that she likes to see Fred kick butt, it's obvious to everyone she is smitten. However, it takes another hour until the completely expected final clinch to occur.
The biggest deficits in the film are the silly clichés and ridiculousness of the relationship between these people from two totally different worlds. I assume some studio exec must have noticed this, too, as towards the end you find out that Fred isn't really a sandhog but a talented engineer who happens to like working in the muck--making the pairing seem not quite so silly and vulgar (after all, he's a college graduate!). Fun despite the terrible dialog and plot. However, don't think too much when you watch this film, as it might make your head explode!!