Eight men have been trying to put together a new encyclopedia in NYC for the last 9 years. These men are know-it-all and Prof. Bertram Potts (Gary Cooper) is the youngest bookworm. After an encounter with a garbageman, Potts decides to go into the world to investigate the living world of modern slang. He meets saucy nightclub singer Sugarpuss O'Shea (Barbara Stanwyck) and gets pulled into the world of her mobster boyfriend Joe Lilac (Dana Andrews).
Stanwyck's not a great dancer but she gets by with sass and attitude. That's her strength and most of this movie. In a romance, she could overpower the simple goodness of a Gary Cooper. That is the danger and at times, it comes off as such. Rooting interest varies as one waits for O'Shea to be good enough for Potts. This has plenty of quick turns of phrase from Billy Wilder and sure directing from Howard Hawks.
Stanwyck's not a great dancer but she gets by with sass and attitude. That's her strength and most of this movie. In a romance, she could overpower the simple goodness of a Gary Cooper. That is the danger and at times, it comes off as such. Rooting interest varies as one waits for O'Shea to be good enough for Potts. This has plenty of quick turns of phrase from Billy Wilder and sure directing from Howard Hawks.