William Wellman may have directed but it is also a David O. Selznick picture (the reason it is in color) and a Ben Hecht screenplay (wrote Notorious and about 100 other titles either credited or uncredited that are all well written) and one of his finest
Again- very rare for a film to be in Technicolor in 1937- this is the year of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs – Becky Sharp is 1935—even rarer for a comedy.
Being in color- we get Carole Lombard’s great red hair (and the camera dotes on her legs in every scene, too)
The opening credits with the little figurines is inspired
A newspaper comedy like Hectht’s The Front Page (and later remade into His Girl Friday)- cynical. Predicts Preston Sturges’ biting false worship satire in Hail the Conquering Hero
A standout laugh out loud moment at the 13 minute mark. Frederic March is a New York newspaperman visiting an unfriendly small town and everyone is giving him the cold shoulder. To add injury to insult as he’s walking down the street a little person runs out and bites his leg and then just as quickly, scurries away.
The talented cast gathered here is inspiring. March and Lombard (she wins the film) are sublime—but John Qualen with his “jumping jiminy” Swedish routine has a scene. Sig Ruman is here as well.
As they tour the NYC spots and she gets a hero’s welcome—it get a little repetitive- which shouldn’t happen in a 77 minute film
One of Lombard’s finest—she’s a comedic virtuoso here—she’s in total command- tragically died in 1942
There is one very nice tracking shot moving the camera on a dock obstructed by wood plank
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