Jessie Mathews is absolutely adorable playing first a popular Edwardian musical hall star and then 'in modern times,' her daughter who's pretending to be her famous mother but not looking any older. Whilst that sounds silly, in the early thirties there was a lot of pseudo-scientific experimentation with supposed youth-giving monkey glands and plastic surgery around so it wasn't quite as daffy as it sounds. And she wears a wig!
Even though I'm definitely not a fan of Rogers and Hart or indeed Jessie Mathew's style of singing, the musical numbers are just about made tolerable by Jessie Matthew's sheer charm. She has real star quality, especially when she's dancing - there's something amazing about the way she just moves that is so sensual that you cannot tear your eyes away from her.
What makes this film so watchable isn't just its star, it's its delightful feel-good nature. Right from the beginning, Victor Saville's excellent and imaginative direction makes these characters real people you can engage with and manages to put a smile on your face from start to finish.
Although he was no Busby Berkeley, choreographer, Buddy Bradley creates some impressive and spectacular numbers on par with what Hollywood was doing at the time. The sophisticated style of Gaumont, who made this, was comparable with say America's RKO (unlike that of ATP/Ealing Studio's more earthy style - closer Warner Brothers) making this something you could imagine Fred and Ginger in. Buddy Bradley by the way was an American but because he was black, he couldn't be a studio choreographer in his home country. Their loss, our gain!
The closing number is Over My Shoulder was fortunately (for those of us who dislike Rogers and Hart) written by Harry Woods and that's the highlight of the whole film. It was composed on the hoof as Saville described to him to him that he needed something for the finale when Matthews decides to reveal who she really is by stripping off her 'old lady clothes' on stage and tossing them over her shoulder. A perfect ending to a not exactly perfect but very enjoyable, fun motion picture.
Even though I'm definitely not a fan of Rogers and Hart or indeed Jessie Mathew's style of singing, the musical numbers are just about made tolerable by Jessie Matthew's sheer charm. She has real star quality, especially when she's dancing - there's something amazing about the way she just moves that is so sensual that you cannot tear your eyes away from her.
What makes this film so watchable isn't just its star, it's its delightful feel-good nature. Right from the beginning, Victor Saville's excellent and imaginative direction makes these characters real people you can engage with and manages to put a smile on your face from start to finish.
Although he was no Busby Berkeley, choreographer, Buddy Bradley creates some impressive and spectacular numbers on par with what Hollywood was doing at the time. The sophisticated style of Gaumont, who made this, was comparable with say America's RKO (unlike that of ATP/Ealing Studio's more earthy style - closer Warner Brothers) making this something you could imagine Fred and Ginger in. Buddy Bradley by the way was an American but because he was black, he couldn't be a studio choreographer in his home country. Their loss, our gain!
The closing number is Over My Shoulder was fortunately (for those of us who dislike Rogers and Hart) written by Harry Woods and that's the highlight of the whole film. It was composed on the hoof as Saville described to him to him that he needed something for the finale when Matthews decides to reveal who she really is by stripping off her 'old lady clothes' on stage and tossing them over her shoulder. A perfect ending to a not exactly perfect but very enjoyable, fun motion picture.