With many German actors and technicians fleeing the Nazis it is little surprise that German stories and themes came with them.Cross dressing was such a theme.They made Viktor/Viktoria which was remade as the Jesse Matthews starring vehicle First A Girl.In between this film.Dolly Haas poses as the grandson of the woman hating Duke.There are some really funny scenes when she is cross dressing.However far too early for the good of the film Edmond Knight discovers she is a girl.After that the film is nowhere near as funny.Haas sings a lovely number,Exit for blues,which was featured in other VIP films without the lyrics.Haas is delightful in this film,and made far too few films.Apparently Columbia signed her but wouldn't use her as she refused to change her name.
2 Reviews
Unfunny British drag comedy.
Mozjoukine22 July 2017
Warning: Spoilers
Mainly embarrassing and certainly unfunny early sound BIP comedy made after the landfall of Haas, Siodmark and Vanel on British shores.
Gout stricken Duke Cyril Maude has forbidden women withing a mile of his country lodge and Majordomo Edward Chapman. who has to do all the work (in the film and on the estate) is packed off to Paris to collect the potential heir, a grandson working on the stage. At the theatre, he discovers the awful truth. Dolly's a girl doing a male impersonator act. Incensed by her grandfather's misogyny she uses her theatrical skills to make herself over into male form. She/ he is accepted as the grandson with Chapman hiding the Duke's glasses.
Various would be comic routines follow. Dolly is upset that virile overseer Esmond Knight (the lead in films by Michael Powell, Hitchcock and Renoir) won't take an interest but after he rescues her skinny dipping in the placid looking lake, that changes and they have to conspire to keep Maude from finding out.
Then Princess Irene Vanbrough announces her intention to visit and, as etiquette requires she be greeted by the lady of the house, Dolly puts the curls (which she has saved!) back and arrives in her fluffy long dress.
Ends with everyone expressing delight at the final arrangement and Maude saying he knew what was going on all the time.
The production gives the impression of some ambition - successive footmen doing a double take as Dolly sweeps down the stairs in her girl outfit, a variety of locations and studio settings - though the lighting manages to make the genuine stately home porch look like a set.
The piece's wink wink nudge nudge material is notably outclassed by Jessie Mathews' FIRST a GIRL. An attempt to show case Haas as an English language movie star is a misfire. She actually got a short back and sides and looks great in her curls and frills but the men folk have to register as dim. If her voice and funny walk didn't give her away then the plucked eye brows and lipstick should have provided enough clues.
The Network DVD is sharp and well graded.
Gout stricken Duke Cyril Maude has forbidden women withing a mile of his country lodge and Majordomo Edward Chapman. who has to do all the work (in the film and on the estate) is packed off to Paris to collect the potential heir, a grandson working on the stage. At the theatre, he discovers the awful truth. Dolly's a girl doing a male impersonator act. Incensed by her grandfather's misogyny she uses her theatrical skills to make herself over into male form. She/ he is accepted as the grandson with Chapman hiding the Duke's glasses.
Various would be comic routines follow. Dolly is upset that virile overseer Esmond Knight (the lead in films by Michael Powell, Hitchcock and Renoir) won't take an interest but after he rescues her skinny dipping in the placid looking lake, that changes and they have to conspire to keep Maude from finding out.
Then Princess Irene Vanbrough announces her intention to visit and, as etiquette requires she be greeted by the lady of the house, Dolly puts the curls (which she has saved!) back and arrives in her fluffy long dress.
Ends with everyone expressing delight at the final arrangement and Maude saying he knew what was going on all the time.
The production gives the impression of some ambition - successive footmen doing a double take as Dolly sweeps down the stairs in her girl outfit, a variety of locations and studio settings - though the lighting manages to make the genuine stately home porch look like a set.
The piece's wink wink nudge nudge material is notably outclassed by Jessie Mathews' FIRST a GIRL. An attempt to show case Haas as an English language movie star is a misfire. She actually got a short back and sides and looks great in her curls and frills but the men folk have to register as dim. If her voice and funny walk didn't give her away then the plucked eye brows and lipstick should have provided enough clues.
The Network DVD is sharp and well graded.
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