I enjoyed this far more than I expected. What I expected, after all, was a stodgy star vehicle pitting two of Hollywood's most charming leads against one another for the affections of Frank Capra's favorite actress, Jean Arthur.

Instead, it was a sometimes stodgy, sometimes interesting tale of a fugitive and a law professor in a battle of judicial philosophies, while Jean Arthur, tough and stubborn, fought to keep both of them safe from one another. Its greatest weakness is…