Erica Derrick
By the time the dramatic fireworks start popping off, each one feels earned.
Kaelan Mccaffrey
Like the great film, it's made with a great deal of visible affection both in front of and behind the camera.
Fatma Suarez
The movie's neither hopeful in contrived ways, nor hopeless in different contrived ways. Somehow it manages to be wonderful
dougdoepke
If you're looking for laughs, this comedy may disappoint. Surprisingly, the usually restrained De Havilland over-acts egregiously, just about chewing up the scenery in the process. As Smokey, the government girl, it's like she's trying much too hard. On the other hand, the much derided Sonny Tufts comes off best in a slyly bemused performance as the can-do industrialist. At a comedy level, the movie's uneven, at best.As a glimpse of wartime Washington, however, the movie delivers in revealing ways. Note the unusually crowded scenes in the early part. Newly arriving office workers mix with service men and women, all flocking to staff the explosion of paper work. Naturally, the sudden influx creates a room shortage, which the movie amusingly illustrates with the frustrated newly-weds. There's also the gossipy intrigue of the high-class salons and drawing rooms, where careers can be made or broken. Then there's Brown's (Tufts) tussle with red tape, while trying to get his bomber production up and running. And, of course, the year being 1943, it all ends with a patriotic flyover presaging the Allied victory to come.Not many wartime films deal with the administrative phase of the war effort. This, I believe, is one of the few, and from that standpoint the movie remains an interesting, if rather frantic, curiosity.
MartinHafer
Uggghhh! This film simply irritated me, as the wonderful and Oscar-winning Olivia de Havilland was forced to appear in this movie that was simply beneath her talents. And, considering that she battled the big-wigs at Warner Brothers for better roles, this loan-out to RKO is ample evidence that she was right to sue to be released from her contract! Quite simply, this is a poorly written film where Miss de Havilland was paired with a lumbering 'actor' who had all the charisma and charm of a log!The film is set in DC during the Second World War. De Havilland is secretary to a guy who comes off as an idiot. Perhaps it was the writing or perhaps this was the best Sonny Tufts could do, but he seemed to be ill-at-ease in his role as a manufacturing expert brought to the Capital to increase production. However, the plot really involves Tufts and de Havilland eventually falling in love--interspersed with some 'kooky' adventures--and kooky really seemed to poorly suit the sophisticated de Havilland. Of particular note was the ultra-kooky motorcycle scene--which came off as something you might expect from an Abbott & Costello or Three Stooges film! Poorly rear-projected and zany, I cringed during this entire unnecessary sequence. And, as far as cringing goes, this early scene was just one of many that just irritated me (another awful one was the crying scene where I just wanted de Havilland to shut up!). The film was just poorly written and dumb. This is clearly among the actress' worst films and, sadly, probably among the best performances by Tufts! Simply awful and clearly a B-movie in every way--despite an A-level star in the title role. I think I'm gonna throw up! To think the star from "The Heiress", "To Each His Own" and "The Snake Pit" was put into this drivel!!
dexter-10
This film describes the dollar-a-year workers who virtually volunteered their time and expertise to the war effort during World War Two. Ed Browne (played by Sonny Tufts) comes in conflict with the established manners and customs in Washington, D.C. Browne's method of operation is founded in the private sector of industry which clashes with the public functions of the government. Historically, many manufacturers had little choice but to take part in the the conversion to war production. Meager profits early in the war of cost plus four percent was little incentive for enthusiasm from all of industry. Even when the profit scheme went to cost plus eight percent, most industries could do much better in peacetime consumer goods. Many yielded to the threat of government sanctions and complied. This movie, however, points to the positive aspects of individuals working for the war effort, even at the cost of personal sacrifice. The most realistic character is "Smokey" (played by Olivia de Havilland. She is dynamic and forceful, but burning government records to support her boss (with whom she is in love) seems somewhat exaggerated. All in all, it is a fairly amusing film, with the bottom line echoed in a United States Senate hearing: "Thank you, government girl."
otter
I used to think that Olivia DeHavilland could do no wrong. I'd only seen her in good films, where she was usually perfect. Remember her incredible performances in "Gone With The Wind", "Robin Hood", "The Heiress", "Captain Blood", and even in "Hush, Hush, Sweet Charlotte"?Little did I know the kind of scenery-chewing she's capable of when left without a script or a leading man!This could never have been anything but a formulaic yawner, a didactically patriotic wartime comedy about a dynamic Young Bureaucrat and His Girl Friday would have been deadly even if they had cast Tracy and Hepburn. But in the hands this bad it becomes almost worth watching!
