Eddie Bracken made a big splash in a few Preston Sturges films but never managed to stabilise his stardom. This was a vehicle for his talents - although it feels like something Bob Hope passed up. He's got a pretty "straight woman" (Veronica Lake), Willie Best in support, George Marshall as director, and a decent concept - a kleptomaniac gets involved with jewel thieves - but it just doesn't work.
I don't know what went wrong. Marshall has some excellent comedies on his resume, Bracken could be fantastic, so could Lake (see Sullivan's Travels and I Married a Witch). But the result is flat and dull. Bracken flails about. Lake is dull and lacking sexiness. Maybe the two of them required really special handling of Preston Sturges or Rene Clair. They're definitely no Bob Hope and Paulette Goddard.
Bracken and Lake have zilch chemistry. You could always see what Hope
and Goddard saw in each other - both had so much energy, she was super
pert and pretty, he was smart despite his cowardice and looked good
compared to the villains and dodgy types in the film, and would stick by Goddard. Lake is pretty but dull; Bracken is an anxious kleptomaniac who is a pain in the backside - they're not good for each other, he has a mental problem that isn't dealt with by the end. Neither have much pep.
Maybe it would have helped if there's been some spooky ghost angle - or something involving spies, where the stakes were bigger (eg national security). Jewel theft feels so light. The script isn't particularly good - it lacks strong gags.
Albert Dekker is an investigating cop; George Zucco appears as a shrink; Frank Fenton is the head baddie. Everyone on this film has a strong resume, but it just doesn't work.
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