User Reviews

Screwball comedy never reflected real life, and that's why there's only a dozen or so considered genuine classics. Casting is very important to these as well, and while Ann Sothern is perfectly cast, Burgess Meredith seems out of his element. Known mainly for theatrical drama. He would be perfect in supporting roles in comedies but has too gruff an exterior To make it seem like he'd want to have anything to do with the family he's engaged to two daughters within throughout the film's 65 minute running time.

At least RKO had the standing sets from the Fred and Ginger musicals as they're perfect for Mary Boland's mansion. She's very funny and small doses but chirps like a bird far too much in this, and after a while basically becomes like a gaggle of hens, all through one throat. Meredith is engaged to the self centered Louise Henry, but she dumps him, only deciding she wants him back when he turns to her younger sister, Sothern.

There are some funny moments, however, mostly jokes at Boland's expense (one involving her lip hair), and the bratty young girl throwing flowers around angrily during a wedding rehearsal. Roger Imhof is funny as Meredith's fishing business partner, the best performance in the film. But there's a lot of screaming going on for an hour and only Sothern from the family seems to have any sense, although Henry definitely has a crafty calculating brain. After a while I began explaiming, "There goes my head" as the screaming onscreen resulted in pain offscreen.

The situations are highly exaggerated in this tale of romance. The bride (Ann Sothern) comes from a madcap family which doesn't help matters. They've been living high off the hog during the Depression and are down to their last savings bond.

As if that wasn't bad enough, Sothern is the groom's second choice. Her older sister (Louise Henry) is the one that Dickie boy (Burgess Meredith) really wanted to marry. But the sister went and got engaged to someone else. Since Sothern has always been smitten with Meredith, who the heck knows why, she is willing to be his Plan B.

However, the family is about to lose everything to its creditors. Mama played by Mary Boland, who else, wants this to be a wedding to remember and a wedding that will assure creditors they have come back into money since Meredith just struck gold in Alaska.

Soon everyone assembles to rehearse for the wedding at the manse. Uproarious scenes feature a flower girl from hell who throws roses as if they are stones. The groom decides to sneak out of the rehearsal with his buddy, through a window no less.

This leads to the most wild and exaggerated part of the movie. Meredith wants to break things off with Sothern and so he feigns a case of amnesia to do it. Probably because that's the most logical way to jilt a girl.

Unfortunately developing a case of memory loss causes the guy to be sent to a mental institution. While trying to sort out his problems, he participates in a strange game of football on the front lawn (see it to believe it) that is played as a combination of golf and boxing.

Farce is an understatement here. During these comic misadventures Burgess realizes he actually does love Sothern. Yes, really.

Is this a great movie? I don't know. But it's a fun one and it always makes me laugh. If you like screwy comedy and appreciate amusing performances, then you will like this movie too.