...because this film is not about love or which way to do it.
Instead it is about a radio show writing duo - Barry Cole (Chester Morris) and his girlfriend Josie (Janis Hart) - who want their one time partner Mitchell Raymond (Willard Parker) to join them in California where they have a one thousand dollar a week contract awaiting them writing for radio. Josie usually did the administrative work and the writing was left to Barry and Mitchell. The problem is, Barry really is not that good, and thus they need Mitchell's talent to succeed, because at this point they have no script! The problem is Mitchell is engaged to a wealthy girl (Marguerite Chapman as Marcia Winthrop) who has Mitchell employed in her father's organ business as an executive and she thinks that radio work is beneath him. However, Marcia's dad is not one of those stuffy to the manor born folk who believe blue bloods should marry blue bloods. He does his best to help get Marcia and Mitch back together because he thinks Mitch is a fine young man.
So it is up to Barry to find a way to coax Mitch away from his fiancée and on to a train to California. Now this involves all kinds of dirty tricks on Barry's part, some on the train, some off, helped along with a generous portion of misunderstandings. On the train there are two eccentric gentlemen played by Hugh Herbert and Jerome Cowan who also figure heavily into the plot. The observer of all of the strange goings on during the train trip is a nervous conductor played by Irving Bacon who keeps threatening to go "back into retirement" if this nonsense continues. Why was this a big deal? Because with the men still away at war - it's not like they came home the day after VJ Day - the older retired fellows were relied upon to take up some of the slack in the work force.
Honestly, it is more fun than "The Twentieth Century" and probably not that well remembered only because the stars involved here were not as big as in 1934's "Twentieth Century". I have to say that Chester Morris and his energy and talent for comedy and mischief absolutely make this film. I have no idea why he is third billed when he is the fastest and funniest member of the cast.
Just one more thing - I really like how this film doesn't ignore WWII and its lingering effects just because the war has been over for a few months. The train stations are still full of sailors and their sea bags, and a WAC even figures into one of the comic misunderstandings on the train.
Highly recommended if you can ever find a copy.
Instead it is about a radio show writing duo - Barry Cole (Chester Morris) and his girlfriend Josie (Janis Hart) - who want their one time partner Mitchell Raymond (Willard Parker) to join them in California where they have a one thousand dollar a week contract awaiting them writing for radio. Josie usually did the administrative work and the writing was left to Barry and Mitchell. The problem is, Barry really is not that good, and thus they need Mitchell's talent to succeed, because at this point they have no script! The problem is Mitchell is engaged to a wealthy girl (Marguerite Chapman as Marcia Winthrop) who has Mitchell employed in her father's organ business as an executive and she thinks that radio work is beneath him. However, Marcia's dad is not one of those stuffy to the manor born folk who believe blue bloods should marry blue bloods. He does his best to help get Marcia and Mitch back together because he thinks Mitch is a fine young man.
So it is up to Barry to find a way to coax Mitch away from his fiancée and on to a train to California. Now this involves all kinds of dirty tricks on Barry's part, some on the train, some off, helped along with a generous portion of misunderstandings. On the train there are two eccentric gentlemen played by Hugh Herbert and Jerome Cowan who also figure heavily into the plot. The observer of all of the strange goings on during the train trip is a nervous conductor played by Irving Bacon who keeps threatening to go "back into retirement" if this nonsense continues. Why was this a big deal? Because with the men still away at war - it's not like they came home the day after VJ Day - the older retired fellows were relied upon to take up some of the slack in the work force.
Honestly, it is more fun than "The Twentieth Century" and probably not that well remembered only because the stars involved here were not as big as in 1934's "Twentieth Century". I have to say that Chester Morris and his energy and talent for comedy and mischief absolutely make this film. I have no idea why he is third billed when he is the fastest and funniest member of the cast.
Just one more thing - I really like how this film doesn't ignore WWII and its lingering effects just because the war has been over for a few months. The train stations are still full of sailors and their sea bags, and a WAC even figures into one of the comic misunderstandings on the train.
Highly recommended if you can ever find a copy.