Deanna Durbin was rarely more lovely or animated in this film, one of the best of her later efforts. She's bright and sparky and full of energy - often she played roles very sensible, maybe too sensible, but here she's going for it. I wonder why - was it the director? Was it the fact this was her last film with producer Felix Jackson who she married but was soon to divorce to marry Charles David? That she had just had a child?
Anyway she is captivated and helps propel some iffy material. She's a girl who comes to the big city and decides to help a lawyer who was nice to her. She's not immediately interested in him, which I liked - he's Tom Drake, not a fantastic lawyer, but effective here because he's got a character to play: a principled lawyer, who wears a beard and looks old before his time, who gets a good job due to Durbin but earns it through dilligence. He and Durbin have a convincing romance - it's lovely when they fall in love.
William Bendix is a comical waiter she banters with and who introduces her to Drake. Adolphe Menjou's part is more problematic - a tycoon who wants to seduce her, she says oh I'm married, so he gives the "husband" (Drake) a job. I guess that's... nice?
Still it does power the film. Durbin works well with Menjou and Bendix as well. She really seems to be having fun here.
This was written and produced by Felix Jackson - who soon after left Universal. He wasn't as good for Durbin as Pasternak but he definitely had his moments and I think this was one.
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