When rival reporter and girlfriend Bette Davis passes out at the execution of a Broadway star found guilty of murder, the chauvinistic George Brent uses this to try and prove to her that a woman's place is behind the stove and that it is a man's job to report the news. This is Brent's romantic way of proposing which Davis turns down, determined to prove him wrong. They both end up working overtime to scoop each other over a murder which took place at a fire that Davis initially reported on. It leads to a lot of witty banter between them and many amusing situations with each of them tied until the final minutes as to who has the one-up on the other.
What could be a rather predictable battle of the sexes comedy with the man ultimatelty convincing the little woman to put on an apron and give up her career for him has the nice little twist of this not about to happen. It is one of the more feminist liberal views of a woman's career in the 30's from the most macho studio in Hollywood. Just a few years before, both Kay Francis (in "Man Wanted") and Ruth Chatterton (in "Female") tried but failed to get past what Warners felt a woman's place should be. Davis stands her ground here, but the secondary story of the murder that they are investigating is never as interesting as the interactions between the two leads. Singer Winifred Shaw is a rather dour femme fatale, but Roscoe Karns is amusing as Brent's photographer pal.
There are some amusing little character bits, particularly Mary Treen's as an too willing to be helpful nurse. The story is all wrapped up neatly with a great denouncement that ranks higher as a pro-women's film and could have been an interesting series.
What could be a rather predictable battle of the sexes comedy with the man ultimatelty convincing the little woman to put on an apron and give up her career for him has the nice little twist of this not about to happen. It is one of the more feminist liberal views of a woman's career in the 30's from the most macho studio in Hollywood. Just a few years before, both Kay Francis (in "Man Wanted") and Ruth Chatterton (in "Female") tried but failed to get past what Warners felt a woman's place should be. Davis stands her ground here, but the secondary story of the murder that they are investigating is never as interesting as the interactions between the two leads. Singer Winifred Shaw is a rather dour femme fatale, but Roscoe Karns is amusing as Brent's photographer pal.
There are some amusing little character bits, particularly Mary Treen's as an too willing to be helpful nurse. The story is all wrapped up neatly with a great denouncement that ranks higher as a pro-women's film and could have been an interesting series.