It's a good thing that Spring Byington"s con-artist didn't approach Joan Crawford's Crystal Allen on the other side of the perfume counter, or the men whom she was meant to fleece would be in debt. Instead, she approaches Gene Tierney on the other side of the lingerie counter, and in spite of the fact that she's struggling, she at least has ethics. Byington and her partner, Laird Cregar, utilize Tierney to try to sucker the supposedly rich Henry Fonda and as a result, the struggling accountant Fonda loses his savings. But they fall in love, and much to Byington's chagrin, Tierney decides to move on to marry Fonda but can't convince him to take her money, which by way of the fleece is his.
Clever and sophisticated, if unbelievable screwball comedy, this gives Fonda unfortunately a truly unbelievable sap character, too nice and extremely gullible, while Tierney at least is far more rounded. Byington is a dizzy delight, smart and crafty, but dingy, popping back in to stir things up when it seems that Fonda and Tierney have found their white picket fence. In smaller roles, Iris Adrian, Marjorie Gateson and James Stephenson are quite good, but overall, I just didn't completely buy what the movie was trying to sell me even if I had a fun time looking. Frank Orth walks away with the film as the double talking private detective, funny with his rubber faced facial expressions and cleverly written dumb dialog.
Clever and sophisticated, if unbelievable screwball comedy, this gives Fonda unfortunately a truly unbelievable sap character, too nice and extremely gullible, while Tierney at least is far more rounded. Byington is a dizzy delight, smart and crafty, but dingy, popping back in to stir things up when it seems that Fonda and Tierney have found their white picket fence. In smaller roles, Iris Adrian, Marjorie Gateson and James Stephenson are quite good, but overall, I just didn't completely buy what the movie was trying to sell me even if I had a fun time looking. Frank Orth walks away with the film as the double talking private detective, funny with his rubber faced facial expressions and cleverly written dumb dialog.