Actuakers One of my all time favorites.

Steineded How sad is this?

AnhartLinkin This story has more twists and turns than a second-rate soap opera.

Jenna Walter The film may be flawed, but its message is not.

vleonica-44-795280 How does one pick their favorite Ronald Colman film; any film that contains a speech that he recites doubles it's pleasure for me. This particular is film is not only well written, as were most of Colman's films, but it has a strong plot & story which clearly defines the inner feelings of it's character's & their beliefs, which, and adding to that aspect, as it should be in real life, show that both, no matter how strong, not cast in stone. Adding even greater value are great performers, Jean Arthur, Cary Grant (who improved greatly as he matured,) and one of my favorite character actors, Edgar Buchanan who thoroughly & well play their parts to the utmost. Each is quite convincing in their role & this aspect follows through for all the actors. The film is superb in it's believability, the casting & direction, and every moment was & still is perfect, even the comedic relief is superb. And even today 72 years later, and after a multitude of personal viewings, this fine film holds it own. My god is this film that old, yikes. Well that just proves how great this film is. One never tires of it, & isn't the what proves it's worth. ;-)

AaronCapenBanner George Stevens directed this comedy/drama starring Jean Arthur as Nora Shelley, who owns a boarding house in New England where she is staying, along with noted Harvard Law School professor Michael LightCap(played by Ronald Colman) who is working on a book. Joining them is Leopold Dilg(played by Cary Grant) who is said to be the gardener, but in reality is an escaped prisoner accused of arson and murder regarding a reputedly unsafe factory. Leopold claims his innocence, and when the professor gets wind of this, resolves to help him prove it by conducting his own investigation... Thoughtful and smart film with a good cast and involving story, with a most subdued performance from Grant(which makes for a welcome change!) Well worth seeking out.

policy134 Like some of the other participants on this board, I too, am surprised that this isn't more revered, or for that matter, remembered. I have not seen it on any top 100 list on AFI or elsewhere.Not to sound like somebody with a schoolboy crush, but could you find another actress who is more charming than Jean Arthur. She is definitely one of the best actresses of the 30s and 40s. Don't get me wrong, there are other superb actresses like Bette Davis and Katharine Hepburn of those years, but there is something about Jean Arthur that I can't resist. Maybe it's that voice? The memorable thing about this film is that you are a little thrown by the opening scene and what follows after. Grant, I can reveal, is wanted for murder and hides out with school chum, Arthur. Matters are complicated by tenant, Colman. At first, you think this is going to be a bedroom farce but it suddenly shifts tone to highbrow drama. Also, I was a little thrown by Grant's sudden appearance in front of Colman after hiding out in the attic. Colman doesn't look that surprised either.Like I said the film shits tone many times. At first, you think it's going to be a gritty crime drama, then it shifts to the aforementioned bedroom escapades and then just as suddenly, we are in the middle of philosophical discussion about law. But that's okay. I rather enjoyed the chemistry between Colman and Grant in those scenes.What is far less acceptable, is the tired convention of which man will the woman end up with. It is not only a cliché, but it is more than a bit awkwardly played out here. Still, you can't have Arthur dump them both, so I think that the filmmakers made the right decision of making it the more popular of the two, at that time at least.If you are confused by this commentary, don't worry. Wait 'till the next one.

FilmRap How was the country diverting itself from heart wrenching reports from the battle front of early World War II ? Going to the movies was one way and in 1942 that might mean seeing this movie, which was nominated for 6 Academy awards including Best Picture. Leopold Dilg (Cary Grant) is being accused of burning down the town factory when all he did was speak out against the bad conditions there. Professor Michael Lightcap (Ronald Coleman), a legal scholar who is destined for the Supreme Court, happens to be in town and is planning to rent Miss Nora Shelley's (Jean Arthur) house where Dilg is hiding out after he broke out of jail when he realized he wasn't going to get a fair trial since the owner of the factory (who it turns out arranged the fire) has turned the local town into a blood thirsty mob out for Dilg. At first it looks like it is going to be light comedy with hiding, close calls, police and blood hounds almost catching the fugitive and then it seems to be turning into a law and order theme. When Dilg pretends he is Joseph the gardener, he and Lightcap actually get to know each other and really like each other. In fact, these two men have a strong bonding as did Lightcap and his black man servant (Rex Ingram) who shed a few tears when his boss was going to shave his beard. As touching as this man to man stuff may have been, it is clear that the real romantic feelings are coming from Miss Shelley (attractive lovable wide-eyed Arthur). She is falling in love but it really isn't clear which of these leading men it might be with. The finale of the movie while somewhat overly dramatic has s a moving speech by Lightcap (as Coleman really gets into it) and he emotionally reminds everyone about the American form of justice (and without saying it is reminding everyone in the audience about one of the reason that we were fighting the war). There was the final touch where we almost don't know who Miss Shelley is going to end up with (could this be the first time Cary Grant doesn't win the girl?) and all ends well. FilmRap.net