This Pygmalion/Grifters hybrid set in 18th Century England does Paramount proud with its sumptuously designed and photographed story of romance greed and deceit. It is the romance (one sided as that might be for most of the film) however that predominates with the opulent costumes, set design and the charm of its stars Paulette Goddard and Ray Milland as bawdy and immoral partners in crime that gives Kitty a ribald charm.
Sir (sic)Hugh Marcy (Milland), a penniless Henry Higgins with character of even less worth browbeats Cockney Kitty into being a lady which later will get him out of debtors prison and allowing herself to be wife and widow to two wealthy husbands in under a year. All the while she loves the execrable Marcy who remains condescending, yearning for a life of pimpdom ("If I had twelve like you I'd be rich").
Goddard leads the cast with a convincing transition in both nuance and voice even if at first the Eliza Dolittle takes a little getting use to. Milland is an excellent cad with his selfish disdain also beautifully inflected and postured.
There's a half dozen supporting performances worth noting with special mention to Reginald Owen and Cecil Kellaway as the artist Thomas Gainsborugh who aides and abets the scam artists. Who would have thought.
Everyone does their job well on Kitty and it shows in the sum of its parts that are all all excellently honed by this excellently assembled team.
