Playful enough espionage fluff. Would actually been better without Jeanette MacDonald singing, for she wasn't exactly given many good song to sing here and MGM didn't do anything special with those scenes anyway. They rather ruined the experience this time around. At least her and Robert Young seemed to have a good time. Perhaps most surprising was the high billing of Ethel Waters considering she was of color. She does have a fairly large role and even gets a few singing numbers of her own, but still it was unexpected seeing her get such a prominent placing in the credits considering the time this was made.

The movie that finally weaponized Jeanette MacDonald's high C.

As a fan of the musical genre I must say I was not a fan of Jeanette Mac Donald's singing in this film. The songs were so pitchy it was difficult to make out most of the lyrics in Half of the songs.

Ethel Waters on the other hand delivered for me.

The story line had some hi-jinx and it was an OK flick.

Playful enough espionage fluff. Would actually been better without Jeanette MacDonald singing, for she wasn't exactly given many good song to sing here and MGM didn't do anything special with those scenes anyway. They rather ruined the experience this time around. At least her and Robert Young seemed to have a good time. Perhaps most surprising was the high billing of Ethel Waters considering she was of color. She does have a fairly large role and even gets a few singing numbers of her own, but still it was unexpected seeing her get such a prominent placing in the credits considering the time this was made.

fast moving backlot fantasy

The rah-rah musical numbers are, surprisingly, often the low points in this sui generous self-reflexive propagandist spy musical comedy, but the nightclub songs work well enough.

I've never been a fan of Robert Young (he often seems surprised to be in a movie, winning the leading lady), but he fits well here. Jeanette MacDonald has almost completely morphed into an Irene Dunne clone by this point, which is unnecessary (there are few things greater than young Jeannette MacDonald) but not bad (who wouldn't want to be like Irene Dunne?). I also tend to be pretty dismissive of W.S. Van Dyke (here credited with his service rank and the suffix "II"), perhaps the weakest Hollywood director with great credits, but the gag of Young stepping over the chair while he and MacDonald pace is inspired.

The movie that finally weaponized Jeanette MacDonald's high C.