Overrated and overhyped

best movie i've ever seen.

Exactly the movie you think it is, but not the movie you want it to be.

The film never slows down or bores, plunging from one harrowing sequence to the next.

An old vaudeville gag has a wife hiding her lover in her closet as her husband comes home unexpectedly, and when he goes to the closet, the lover claims he's waiting for a streetcar as one arrives in the nick of time. This is nothing more than an almost plotless musical comedy about an American theatrical producer (Jack Benny) in London who accepts the invitation of a neglected wife (Binnie Barnes) to come to her country estate for the weekend to make her husband (Edward Arnold) jealous. He's already upset because the musical comedy star he's in love with (Dorothy Lamour) loves somebody else (Phil Harris). Then there's "Rochester", aka Eddie Anderson, Benny's wise-cracking but loyal valet who gives Mr. Benny as good as it takes. Toss in Betty Grable in a pointless role as a chorus girl and you've got the ingredients for a comical pie where sadly the fruit has been left out.Some lavish production numbers are interspersed, but other than the luxurious art decco look, they are not really all that memorable. The best scenes of course involve Benny and Rochester's interactions, especially a huge meal where the dateless Benny refuses to allow Rochester to partake of it until he is dumped by Lamour and turned down by Grable and her chorus girl friends who would rather spend an evening with their Aunt Tilly than with Jack. The rapporteur between Benny and Robinson might often seem subservient from Rochester's point of view, but it becomes very clear that Benny would be absolutely lost without him and that Rochester is greatly aware of that. Isabel Jeans ("Gigi") and Monty Woolley ("The Man Who Came to Dinner") have inconsequential supporting parts as members of Barnes' and Arnold's social set, with Jeans very comical in her over the top French accent as the instigator of Barnes' deception. Barnes is urbane and sophisticated, and Arnold his usually gregarious self, very funny in a scene where Barnes brags about her lunch with Benny as he basically responds, "That's nice, dear". Of course, when all becomes clear to him, it's a different story, and Arnold spends much of the rest of the film trying to shoot Benny for messing with his wife. Unlike other comics of the time, it appears to me that Benny simply tried to repeat the success of what he was doing on radio, not really thinking that audiences at the movies wanted something more solid than gags and a couple of decent songs. It isn't bad, but I wouldn't call Benny a threat at Paramount to anything his good friend Bob Hope had been doing already.

I found this movie enjoyable, with great performances from some great people. There is no pretense of high art, or even an attempt at it; but mostly, I believe, intended as a vehicle for the great radio star Jack Benny. Typical late-Depression fare: and very important So don't expect too much, and you'll be pleased.

A Jack Benny vehicle, this film is very watchable even after all these years. Jack Benny, though not as funny as he's supposed to be here, does his job well. One feels like putting an arm over his shoulders watching him being so kind with no success to win Dorothy Lamour.Now, Dorothy Lamour...how can someone NOT like her? She's beautiful, exotic looking but at the same time very down-to-earth. She also possesses a beautiful contralto singing voice and has a great acting talent. Her part was supposed to be Betty Grable's at the time, but well, it went to her. So be it...she's great.The beautiful Betty Grable, unfortunately, is not seen very much here. She has a short song, though, but so short you don't even have time to realize she's on the screen displaying her shapely legs and sparkling personality! A SHAME! Watch for Eddie Anderson! He's the real star in this film and immediately steals the show completely! He's funny, totally into his character and so likable. And he does 2 solo dancing numbers.As for the plot, well, it is messy. It seems the producer wanted to put as many actors as he could in one same movie and had many parts written on the corner of a table at the last minute to put them in the movie. The result is not, therefore, always effective. But, even with this fault, the movie stays very watchable and sports a classy looks.See it.

This is a pretty weak effort from Benny and the team. Jack and Rochester try but the material is so unfunny that they don't get very far. Rochester's two dance numbers are the highlights - and Benny's attempt at being a member of an acrobatic troupe is very funny. The rest is pretty dull with some bad casting (Edward Arnold as an English Lord?) and really bad musical numbers. Benny's show would never have made it to Hoboken, let alone London - the songs are just awful. No wonder there are only about twenty in the audience - I guess they were saving on extras. Dorothy Lamour looks bored, but Betty Grable provides a bit of life in a small but memorable role. Also good is E.E. Clive as a butler. And what a fizzer of an ending - it doesn't even make sense.