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A real hoot from Preston Sturges, a rollicking watch which is over all too soon. From the brilliant stop-start sequence over the titles, confusing right until the last frame which at last makes crazy sense (I'm sure Preston would forgive the oxymoron!) of it all, taking in a madcap menagerie of characters, every bit as eccentric as their names or nicknames indicate, for example get these; the Wiener King, the Ale and Quail Club, Princess Centimillia not to mention John D Hackensacker the Third. The set-piece comedic set-ups at the couple's flat, train station, on-board the train and on Hackensacker's yacht are played to the hilt with lightning fast delivery of dialogue so good you take for granted the comic timing so effortlessly achieved. Star of the show is the lovely effervescent Claudette Colbert, almost 40 at the time of making this movie but looking years younger in a variety of differing costumes, taking in over-sized men's pyjamas to the very best costumes that Hackensacker can buy.She's an audio-visual treat, putting into effect her madcap idea for the betterment of her unlucky, under-achieving, unrecognised husband, played with straight-laced, straight-faced aplomb by previous Sturges alumni, Joel McCrea. There are far too many other minor highlights amongst the supporting cast along the way to mention, with almost everyone in the cast getting to make some kind of wisecrack and the whole is served up as a riotous upper-class Marx Brothers-type confection for the 40's replete with a sub-Harpo stooge as Princess Centimillia's adoring numb-skull suitor. There are so many scenes which just fizz and crackle with wit and occasionally bawdy humour, as Sturges takes pot-shots at sexual mores and the idle rich. Rudy Vallee is great in his role as the hopelessly smitten, hapless multi-millionaire and Mary Astor equally winning as his caustic, man-mad sister. To summarise, 90 minutes of sheer Hollywood bliss topped off with that magic Sturges touch.

Claudette Colbert is a knockout who knows it. She wants the good life, which her inventor husband can't give her. So she leaves him, intending on marrying someone who can support her and finance his invention. Things don't quite work out.

The opening of "Palm Beach Story" is a bizarre scene that only makes some sense (and I'm emphasizing some) at the very end of the film. It's certainly an original way to start a movie. There are some hilarious scenes in this film - desperate to get to Palm Beach for a quickie divorce, but with no money, Colbert accepts the invitation of the gentlemanly Ale and Quail Club to ride in their private train car as their guest and mascot. Unfortunately, the emphasis in this club is the ale and not the quail - shooting sugar cubes will do - also blowing out train windows, trashing whole train cars - you get the idea. Running from them, Colbert soon meets up with Rudy Vallee, who gives an absolutely delightful performance as a filthy rich man. He serenades her at one point, and it's great, hearkening back to his days as a crooner! Mary Astor is his many times married sister, and when Colbert's husband shows, in the form of Joel McCrea, Astor sees her next mark.

McCrea has a funny slapstick fall down a flight of stairs, but otherwise, doesn't have much to do except be angry and jealous of his wife. Colbert in her glorious clothes, Vallee, and a vivacious Astor upstage him a bit. A very funny film, produced during World War II to give America a much-needed laugh.

The Palm Beach Story is one of the best examples of the wonderful nonsense that Hollywood used to turn out in its best comedies. It's only in the movies that circumstances like these happen and it's quite beyond my powers to describe them.

Joel McCrea and Claudette Colbert come to a dry patch in their marriage and decide to split. Colbert takes a train to Palm Springs and McCrea pursues her by plane. And they both wind up with a brother and sister pair of gazillionaires in the persons of Rudy Vallee and Mary Astor.

I will say that Preston Sturges did kind of reach into left field for his romantic ending, but that's half the fun of The Palm Beach Story.

Only half because the other half is the fun of the journey. Not much happens to Joel, but Claudette is on one wild ride when she's adopted by a gang of drunken millionaire sportsmen known as the Ale and Quail Club.

The proponents of gun control should get the right to The Palm Beach Story and run it at all opportunities. Seeing these louts, plastered out of their minds and shooting off their weapons is pretty funny and the best argument I know for gun control. Preston Sturges used some of his favorite players from his usual stock company for members of Ale and Quail.

Also look for a very funny performance by Robert Dudley as the 'wienie king' whose encounter with Colbert sets everything in motion.

Rudy Vallee gets to sing in this which is also nice. He sings a chorus of Isn't It Romantic and then sings his own hit, Goodnight Sweetheart which has the opposite effect from what he intended.

The Palm Beach Story is the object lesson in how to make screen comedy and make it to last.

When commenting on a film as brilliantly constructed and deeply entertaining as The Palm Beach Story, it's hard to know just where to start.

Do you tip your hat to the uniformly wonderful performers?

Do you pay tribute to the bizarre and hilarious conversations held by the Weenie King (Robert Dudley), an incidental character who manages to be a lot more than a mere plot contrivance?

Do you mention the fact that the film was clearly an influence upon the (slightly superior) screwball classic Some Like It Hot?

Nope. You just say, Preston Sturges was a genius and this is his best film.

Gerry Jeffers (Claudette Colbert) has decided that she needs to divorce her husband Tom (Sturges regular Joel McCrea). Why? We're not quite sure. Perhaps she's looking for thrills, perhaps she simply wants a partner who can pay the rent and perhaps she's truly come to believe that she no longer loves him. No matter. Her mind is made up and there's nothing Tom can do about it. Try as he might, Gerry slips through his fingers and ends up on a train to Palm Beach, the divorce capital of the world.

Echoes of Some Like first appear on the train ride when Gerry finds herself unable to sleep do to the racket being caused by The Ale and Quail Club. It's bad enough when they start shooting out windows, and what comes next... let's just say that it's a lot funnier than it would be if it happened in real life.

Still, Gerry makes it to Palm Beach, in the company of nutty millionaire John D. Hackensacker (Rudy Vallee). Things only get really out of hand once Tom arrives and becomes pegged as a bachelor, Captain McGlew. And spoil more of the plot for you I will not.

Sturges was capable of operating in many modes: responsible and patriotic (Sullivan's Travels) and outrageously madcap (The Miracle of Morgan's Creek) are two that come to mind. But Palm Beach shares its elegance, wit and reserve with The Lady Eve, in which con artist Barbara Stanwyck sets her sights on absent-minded professor Henry Fonda. (Even the mistaken identity plot is similar upon examination).

Between the two, Eve may end on a slightly more graceful note, but Beach seems to be made with a bit more... well, experience. Sturges seems at his most relaxed throughout the film and it does a world of good. (The story is bogged down only by brief moments of racism early on). And leaving, it's hard not to feel sunny and refreshed.

For those in need of a vacation, I recommend a stay at Palm Beach. And the rest of you should come along as well.

Fun fun!! the versatile Claudette Colbert is Gerry, married to an architect Tom (Joel Mcrea), who can't get his designs across. so... Gerry hatches a ridiculous plot to leave him, and get hitched to someone who CAN help him. right from the start, we know its going to be silly and fun, with the william tell overture. Supporting cast is filled with incredible hollywood names (how did they ever get all of them together?) Mary Astor, Rudy Vallee, William Demarest, Franklin Pangborn. and some funny scenes, like the old,deaf guy that wants to rent Gerry's apartment while she's still in it, or the group of drunks on the train. all classic Sturges... loud, over the top scenes. it all moves right along, with a snappy script and story. Vallee is the rich guy who may or may not come to Gerry's rescue. and that surprise ending... where did that come from? but it's fun. a lot of fun. definitely worth catching this one! Written and directed by Preston Sturges. one of only fourteen films he directed. all clever and fun.