We Have Our Moments

Schoolteacher Sally Eilers takes a cruise for her vacation and makes some odd people: James Dunn, an entomologist who doesn't know anything about insects, charming David Niven, suspicious Frenchman Mischa Auer, wealthy Thurston Hall and his wife, Marjorie Gateson, and $100,000 in cash in her trunks.

Dunn and Miss Eilers had begun the 1930s at Fox as young lovers, but their vehicles began to drift under the studio's often disorganized writing department. After the merger with 20th Century, Zanuck cut them loose/ They landed at Universal, but amusing efforts like this one couldn't stop their decline.

Miss Eilers continued to make movie until the late 194o, and did good work, but she seems to have put more effort into her four marriages. The first was to Hoot Gibson, with whom she had co-starred. Her second was to producer Harry Joe Brown. She died in 1978, aged 69.

Predictable schoolteacher Sally Eilers is engaged to boring Grady Sutton, but before they settle down, she seeks out an adventure. Taking her life savings along with her, she takes a summer cruise, but finds herself quickly involved in much more than a simple love triangle. There are thieves and detectives everywhere; whom can she trust?

This obscure old movie is pretty cute, if you can follow the story. Even though it's just a little cruise ship romance, you'll have to keep on your toes to remember who are the good and bad guys. But maybe that's the point; Sally doesn't have all the information either! James Dunn and David Niven fight over the girl, and you'll see familiar faces of Franklin Pangborn, Thurston Hall, and Mischa Auer alongside them. There's a hilarious scene in which James Dunn walks in on Sally and David Niven kissing. He punches Niven out of the way. "The next man that tries to kiss you gets the same thing!" he declares before kissing Sally himself. She breaks away from him and immediately slaps him. Hilarious timing, and a great example of the perfectly timed banter the three of them share throughout the film.