The movie tries hard to bring back the madcap comedy of the 1930's. But that may be one reason it doesn't fully succeed—it tries too hard, coming across at times as more frantic than zany. That's not to say the comedy doesn't have its moments. The first twenty minutes amount to a promising set-up as drab single-girl Christy (Parker) crashes celebrity Peter's (MacMurray) wedding party to deliver an inheritance, but is mistaken instead for an old flame. As a publicist might say— hi-jinks ensue. The only question is how long it will take for Christy to win Peter's affection. In the meantime, she's got to act loopy to stay out of trouble.
For a heavy dramatic actress, e.g. Caged (1950), Parker adapts well to the Katherine Hepburn role, while the underrated MacMurray does some expert mugging. However, some of the scenes go on long after we've gotten the point, especially the kissy-face, which is surprising given that old comedy pro George Marshall is directing. I suspect the level of embraces, plus a lot of surprising innuendo, are attempts to combat the growing inroads of TV on audiences of the day. Be that as it may, it's a lively if less than sparkling 90-minutes of Hollywood make-believe.
For a heavy dramatic actress, e.g. Caged (1950), Parker adapts well to the Katherine Hepburn role, while the underrated MacMurray does some expert mugging. However, some of the scenes go on long after we've gotten the point, especially the kissy-face, which is surprising given that old comedy pro George Marshall is directing. I suspect the level of embraces, plus a lot of surprising innuendo, are attempts to combat the growing inroads of TV on audiences of the day. Be that as it may, it's a lively if less than sparkling 90-minutes of Hollywood make-believe.