This was the third of five collaborations that costarred Gene Raymond and Ann Sothern at RKO between 1935 and 1937. Except for the first picture which was more of a musical revue and included other specialty acts, these films tended to be romantic comedies with an occasional musical number. SMARTEST GIRL IN TOWN only contains one tune, a lovely song written by Raymond called 'Will You?' which he serenades to Sothern on ukulele.
The emphasis here is on comedy with plenty of screwball situations for the main couple, as well as a seemingly endless supply of wisecracks delivered by third-billed supporting player Helen Broderick. In the story Broderick is Sothern's older sister and has an estranged husband (Harry Jans). Her primary focus is making sure Sothern lands a wealthy man and doesn't face the financial problems she and her husband have. Broderick was 17 years older than Sothern. In another film the following year, Broderick will be cast as Sothern's more age appropriate aunt.
In addition to Broderick and Jans, Erik Rhodes is on hand as a European baron with a sloppy command of the English language. He and Sothern are being pushed towards the altar by Broderick, though it's clear Sothern doesn't love him. We also have Eric Blore, in delightful scene stealing mode, as Raymond's valet who masquerades as an advertising exec. He offers Sothern a job at a considerable salary, bankrolled by Raymond, so that Raymond can get close to her on various modeling jobs.
Some of the greatest comedy is based on misunderstandings, and this film has plenty of amusing ones. Sothern thinks Raymond is a male model and views him as nothing more than an attractive coworker. She assumes he is as poor as she is, not knowing that he's from a well-to-do background and owns a swank hotel as well as the yacht where they met on the first job.
If she knew who he really was, she'd dump the baron in a hurry and be much nicer to Raymond, since she actually loves him. Part of what makes this work so well on screen is that Sothern is basically a gold digger and Raymond is basically a rich cad, but underneath it all they are genuinely good people so we root for them to get together.
It's obvious they will end up together, for as Broderick declares at one point, 'the handwriting is on the wedding cake.' But there's this whole zany farce that gets them from meet cute to meet the guests at the wedding. In the film's screwiest moment, Sothern marries Raymond in a bed at the hotel after she thinks he's dying because he's splashed ketchup on his face.
The film's most genuine moment, though, is not the wedding scene but a very nice sequence a bit earlier where the main characters have a date in Sothern's apartment, in which she gives him a shampoo and rinse. The best scenes are ones in which the audience is not told but shown something important. During the hair cleaning, we see Sothern mothering Raymond, and Raymond realizing Sothern has more depth than other girls he's known. The smartest people in town can see this is a relationship that will go the distance.
The emphasis here is on comedy with plenty of screwball situations for the main couple, as well as a seemingly endless supply of wisecracks delivered by third-billed supporting player Helen Broderick. In the story Broderick is Sothern's older sister and has an estranged husband (Harry Jans). Her primary focus is making sure Sothern lands a wealthy man and doesn't face the financial problems she and her husband have. Broderick was 17 years older than Sothern. In another film the following year, Broderick will be cast as Sothern's more age appropriate aunt.
In addition to Broderick and Jans, Erik Rhodes is on hand as a European baron with a sloppy command of the English language. He and Sothern are being pushed towards the altar by Broderick, though it's clear Sothern doesn't love him. We also have Eric Blore, in delightful scene stealing mode, as Raymond's valet who masquerades as an advertising exec. He offers Sothern a job at a considerable salary, bankrolled by Raymond, so that Raymond can get close to her on various modeling jobs.
Some of the greatest comedy is based on misunderstandings, and this film has plenty of amusing ones. Sothern thinks Raymond is a male model and views him as nothing more than an attractive coworker. She assumes he is as poor as she is, not knowing that he's from a well-to-do background and owns a swank hotel as well as the yacht where they met on the first job.
If she knew who he really was, she'd dump the baron in a hurry and be much nicer to Raymond, since she actually loves him. Part of what makes this work so well on screen is that Sothern is basically a gold digger and Raymond is basically a rich cad, but underneath it all they are genuinely good people so we root for them to get together.
It's obvious they will end up together, for as Broderick declares at one point, 'the handwriting is on the wedding cake.' But there's this whole zany farce that gets them from meet cute to meet the guests at the wedding. In the film's screwiest moment, Sothern marries Raymond in a bed at the hotel after she thinks he's dying because he's splashed ketchup on his face.
The film's most genuine moment, though, is not the wedding scene but a very nice sequence a bit earlier where the main characters have a date in Sothern's apartment, in which she gives him a shampoo and rinse. The best scenes are ones in which the audience is not told but shown something important. During the hair cleaning, we see Sothern mothering Raymond, and Raymond realizing Sothern has more depth than other girls he's known. The smartest people in town can see this is a relationship that will go the distance.