This is the type of film that has a great start, a sagging middle, then bursts back to life towards the end. If you've ever wanted to reach through a theater or TV screen and sock a character, then sit on your hands in the opening sequence. two young people, Walter Abel and Margot Grahame, are sitting opposite each other not saying a word when a police officer comes along and order them to scram. He does the same thing two more times and continues to follow them until they leave the park. They aren't breaking any laws, and she isn't accusing him of pestering her, so there's no reason why they can't just sit there since the park is obviously open. But this is Boston in the 1930's, right after the depression, and it's obvious that people were trying to find benches on occasion to sleep on.
Abel has amnesia and Grahame is homeless, stranded after being dumped by her acting troop, and since he has discovered he has money, he takes her out for him and eggs where they try to put the pieces together of who he is. The only clue is his hat with the initials RD (or DR), and two names come up which have both letters, although opposite. They learn that a theatrical producer named Richard Denning has been murdered and his chauffer (with the opposite initials) is missing.
A play named "Two O'Clock Courage" (the name of the 1945 remake) also becomes a clue and on eccentric cast of characters played by Alan Hale, Gail Patrick, Eric Blore and Erik Rhodes parade through with Hale rather intimidating as the detective on the case. This is mostly enjoyable with a few slags, and Grahame is a good actress. Abel rarely seems to smile or show any emotion, but if I had amnesia, I wouldn't know what kind of mood I was in either. Blore and Rhodes, reunited after those Astaire and Rogers musicals, adds spark.
Abel has amnesia and Grahame is homeless, stranded after being dumped by her acting troop, and since he has discovered he has money, he takes her out for him and eggs where they try to put the pieces together of who he is. The only clue is his hat with the initials RD (or DR), and two names come up which have both letters, although opposite. They learn that a theatrical producer named Richard Denning has been murdered and his chauffer (with the opposite initials) is missing.
A play named "Two O'Clock Courage" (the name of the 1945 remake) also becomes a clue and on eccentric cast of characters played by Alan Hale, Gail Patrick, Eric Blore and Erik Rhodes parade through with Hale rather intimidating as the detective on the case. This is mostly enjoyable with a few slags, and Grahame is a good actress. Abel rarely seems to smile or show any emotion, but if I had amnesia, I wouldn't know what kind of mood I was in either. Blore and Rhodes, reunited after those Astaire and Rogers musicals, adds spark.