While I moderately enjoyed this film, the notion that it was a comedy is a bit perplexing, as it has very few laughs. Much of this is because the films that Joe E. Brown made for David Lowe Productions really lacked the spark of his Warner Brothers film--and Brown himself admitted his signing with Lowe was a mistake. I've seen four of these Lowe films and while none of them were bad, none of them were particularly inspired or funny. They are pleasant diversions but nothing more. One reviewer counted 100 laughs....I counted only one or perhaps two when he appeared in drag.
Brown stars as an up and coming reporter for a New York newspaper. However, the editor won't give him a chance. But, his big break comes when he just happens to be in the right place at the right time. He is able to get a line on a deposed Prime Minister and follows him to Europe trying to get the story. Along the way, he meets a nice young lady who turns out to be a Princess--but Brown is the last to know this. Frankly, this element of the story doesn't work at all, as she falls in love with him yet there is no reason or motivation for this--they hardly know each other. So, Brown's not knowing she fell for him makes sense--since the romance DIDN'T make any sense! Throughout his attempts to get a story, a jerky reporter from a rival paper (Paul Kelly) tricks Brown again and again--making you really hate the guy. But, naturally it's the convention of this sort of a film that by the end Brown will make good and get the girl--so there really isn't a lot of suspense here--even when Brown uncovers a plot to assassinate the Princess.
All in all, a pleasant diversion but nothing more. Brown is good but the material needed to be punched up and given some laughs--something that is sorely lacking. Plus there were too many chase scenes with the usual crappy rear projection and an unconvincing final scene that relied on action and stunts but no laughs. The bottom line is that Brown simply made better films, though this one is decent enough to merit watching.
Brown stars as an up and coming reporter for a New York newspaper. However, the editor won't give him a chance. But, his big break comes when he just happens to be in the right place at the right time. He is able to get a line on a deposed Prime Minister and follows him to Europe trying to get the story. Along the way, he meets a nice young lady who turns out to be a Princess--but Brown is the last to know this. Frankly, this element of the story doesn't work at all, as she falls in love with him yet there is no reason or motivation for this--they hardly know each other. So, Brown's not knowing she fell for him makes sense--since the romance DIDN'T make any sense! Throughout his attempts to get a story, a jerky reporter from a rival paper (Paul Kelly) tricks Brown again and again--making you really hate the guy. But, naturally it's the convention of this sort of a film that by the end Brown will make good and get the girl--so there really isn't a lot of suspense here--even when Brown uncovers a plot to assassinate the Princess.
All in all, a pleasant diversion but nothing more. Brown is good but the material needed to be punched up and given some laughs--something that is sorely lacking. Plus there were too many chase scenes with the usual crappy rear projection and an unconvincing final scene that relied on action and stunts but no laughs. The bottom line is that Brown simply made better films, though this one is decent enough to merit watching.