This film is a fairly faithful adaptation of a Sturges play and, unfortunately, it's stage origins show a little too plainly. One can even fairly easily tell where the Act divisions would have been.
The rhythms and confined locations betray its source-while there are witty passages, other parts do not have a snappy enough pace too advance the fairly sparse (and predictable) plot. Charming performances and has its moments, but Sturges was part of other substantially better scripts in the 30s, that have aged much better. It seems likely that the, for its time, racier elements of the plot held the attention more in its day.
Did like the jokes at the expense of West Orange, New Jersey though!
The rhythms and confined locations betray its source-while there are witty passages, other parts do not have a snappy enough pace too advance the fairly sparse (and predictable) plot. Charming performances and has its moments, but Sturges was part of other substantially better scripts in the 30s, that have aged much better. It seems likely that the, for its time, racier elements of the plot held the attention more in its day.
Did like the jokes at the expense of West Orange, New Jersey though!