The usually sour Ned Sparks becomes Sweet (in name only) in this interesting B entry from 20th Century Fox. He's the manager of a beauty manufacturer, out to aide new owner Ted North, an astrology professor who disliked his aunt, who left him the company in her will. No sooner has he taken over then he's involved in scandal, thanks to the suicide of a client and a lawsuit over allegedly scarring makeup. North must use his smarts to figure out what's going on with the help of bumbling receptionist Joan Davis, the ever acerbic Sparks and flirtatious Marjorie Weaver. He faces various challenges thanks to the presence of a furious cousin Lenita Lane and a lurking employee (Lotus Long). This moved perhaps a bit too quickly for its own good, but there is never a dull moment.
If you ever wondered what stuffy Marx Brother's foil Margaret Dumont looked like with her hair down, look no further than this film. It's a definite fright wig as she throws a tantrum then looks on in awe as North berates her. The comic elements of the film soon disappear as the mystery takes over, although the laugh quotient grows every time that Davis and Sparks are on screen. In fact, Davis gets to hum a bit of "The Blue Danube Waltz" that she comically danced with Lou Costello in the same year's "Hold That Ghost". This is the same type of corporate intrigue here that would later dominate the primetime soaps and still dominates the few daytime soaps left. It's cleverly written, but I wouldn't have minded a bit more detail and an additional 10-15 minutes.
If you ever wondered what stuffy Marx Brother's foil Margaret Dumont looked like with her hair down, look no further than this film. It's a definite fright wig as she throws a tantrum then looks on in awe as North berates her. The comic elements of the film soon disappear as the mystery takes over, although the laugh quotient grows every time that Davis and Sparks are on screen. In fact, Davis gets to hum a bit of "The Blue Danube Waltz" that she comically danced with Lou Costello in the same year's "Hold That Ghost". This is the same type of corporate intrigue here that would later dominate the primetime soaps and still dominates the few daytime soaps left. It's cleverly written, but I wouldn't have minded a bit more detail and an additional 10-15 minutes.