There's Always a Woman (1938)

An investigator for the district attorney and his amateur-sleuth wife compete to solve a murder mystery.

Director:

Alexander Hall

Writers:

Gladys Lehman (screen play), Wilson Collison (story)

Stars:

Joan Blondell, Melvyn Douglas, Mary Astor

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Joan Blondell	...	Sally Reardon
Melvyn Douglas	...	William 'Bill' Reardon
Mary Astor	...	Lola Fraser
Frances Drake	...	Anne Calhoun
Jerome Cowan	...	Nick Shane
Robert Paige	...	Jerry Marlowe
Thurston Hall	...	District Attorney
Pierre Watkin	...	Mr. Ketterling
Walter Kingsford	...	Grigson
Lester Matthews	...	Walter Fraser

Storyline

An investigator for the District Attorney's office quits to open his own detective agency. However, business is so bad that he finally decides to give it up and go back to his old job. As his wife is at his office closing up, a wealthy society matron walks in with a case: she wants to know if her husband is having an affair with his ex-girlfriend, who is now married. The wife accepts what looks to be an easy case, figuring than she can then persuade her husband to re-start the agency. However, when the client's husband is found murdered, she decides to investigate the murder herself. Her husband has also been assigned by the D.A. to investigate the murder, and he doesn't know that his wife is also on the case. Complications ensue.

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Plot Keywords:

screwball comedy | murder | district attorney | husband and wife sleuths | threat | 

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Taglines:

A new laugh hit from the studio that gave you "The Awful Truth"!

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Genres:

Comedy | Mystery

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Certificate:

Passed

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

20 April 1938 (USA)

Also Known As:

Min fru detektiven

Company Credits

Production Co:

Columbia Pictures Corporation

Technical Specs

Runtime:

81 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Mirrophonic Recording)

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

William H. Strauss as "Rent Collector" is listed by a modern source as a cast member in this movie, but that role was played by William Burress.

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Goofs

Near the end, the dispatcher reads the wanted person alert for Mrs. Reardon. He states her complexion as blonde, which is a hair color, not a complexion.

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Quotes

Detective Flannigan: What did Lola Fraser tell you after you cut that wire?
Sally Reardon: She made me promise not to tell anyone, so, don't you repeat it.
Detective Flannigan: I won't.
Sally Reardon: It was just by accident, that she found out about it.
Detective Flannigan: Found out about what?
Sally Reardon: Oh, oh no. I couldn't betray her confidence. It's my girl scout training. Can you tie knots?

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Connections

References Duck Soup (1933)

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Soundtracks

The Stars and Stripes Forever
(1896) (uncredited)
Written by John Philip Sousa
Played on a radio

User Reviews

Delightful mystery-comedy vehicle for Blondell, Douglas!

Caught this today on TCM - lots of fun. characters and snappy dialog borrow heavily from the 'Thin Man' series, only husband Douglas works as a lawman, and wife Joan is the wannabee 'private eye' (with all the right hunches). Blondell is very charming and lovably wacky, but proves that blonds CAN compete in the 1930's (Hollywood) world of sleuthing. Hilarious results come from Douglas attempting to keep wifey under wraps in latter portions of film while he tries 'to break the case wide open'.

Also, earlier, the couple return home from a romantic night out, but Joan's great expectations for intimacy appear to get dashed (---: witty scene, but tastefully portrayed ..

8 / 10