Josette

That old ploy, mistaken identity, comes into play here in "Josette," a 1938 film starring Don Ameche, Simone Simon, and Robert Young.

This was Simon's swan song after five films at 20th Century Fox. She returned to France, only to reach screen immortality in 1942 for "Cat People" at RKO. I can only say, a good thing she came back.

Don Ameche and Robert Young play the Brassard brothers, David and Pierre, owner of a successful cannary. Their father is retired and receives an allowance from them. Unfortunately he is always getting into trouble with women who think he's loaded, and it's up to his sons to detach him from the female clutches.

This time around, he's going to marry a fabulous French singer, Josette. Josette is going to be appearing at a local club, so David and Pierre decide to meet with her, explain their father's situation, which will then cause her to exit.

Unknown to them, the beautiful, petite Renee (Simon) has to go on for Josette when she up and leaves the theater. The owner of the club (Bert Lahr) has to pretend she's Josette or the bank will take his establishment.

Pierre is a first-class worm and, very attracted to "Josette" says he will give her the information about Dad gently - after wining and dining and giving her yacht rides. In truth, Renee is attracted to David and manuevers some time with him. Meanwhile, the real Josette is with Brassard Sr. And charging a fortune in clothes.

The actors make the film fun. However, when Renee as Josette sings - omg I've never heard a more horrific tremelo. I tried to find out who dubbed her and then it occurred to me - would the studio actually have hired someone to sing like that? I still don't think it was her voice though. "Josette's" singing was a big hit - no accounting for taste.

When she wasn't warbling, Simon was beautiful, sexy, and kittenish - she just felt Zanuck wasn't doing enough for her. History proves she was right.

This 1930s romantic comedy starts off very funny, but the last twenty minutes or so is extremely silly. But this is a movie straight out of the Great Depression, a prime example of escapism! So don't expect miracles, but the premise is very good.

Don Ameche and Robert Young, brothers, run a canning factory. Don is older and no-nonsense; Bob is the playboy. Their father, William Collier Sr., is so irresponsible he can't even be in charge anymore. They let him have a meaningless title and give him a paltry monthly allowance. When a gold digger thinks he's the owner and sinks her claws into him, the boys take drastic action. They send their dad out of town and plan to buy the nightclub singer off - only there's a snag: Dad's one step ahead of them and brings his girlfriend along on his trip. In her place, an ordinary singer steps on the stage because the show must go on; both Don and Bob think a different girl is after their father's money. And when the imposter (Simone Simon) turns out to be sweet and innocent, they both develop feelings for her.

Parts of this movie are very cute: all the scenes with Robert and Don bickering and trading quips. Parts of this movie are so silly they're painful: the slapstick ending, and any scene with Joan Davis. Her brand of humor overdid itself in this flick. There was already Bert Lahr with his antics and Paul Hurst with his usual drunken caricature, so a third silly character was over-the-top.

1938's "Josette" marked the fifth Hollywood feature for Simone Simon, after which she left 20th Century-Fox permanently and returned to France, not a bad entry to go out on, paving the way for her eventual return to RKO, where "Cat People" offered her screen immortality in a part she was born to play. She was not actually cast in the title role in "Josette," for the tempestuous gold digging chanteuse is portrayed by Tala Birell, her one ambition to wed a wealthy American millionaire, having met David Brassard Sr. (William Collier Sr.) in Havana. She suddenly disappears from her singing engagement in New Orleans for marriage in New York, only for the not so rich bridegroom to reveal the truth that his two sons run his cannery business while he only collects a monthly allowance of $500. Meanwhile, the harried manager of the Silver Moon nightclub (Bert Lahr) is pleased to have aspiring choir singer Renee Le Blanc (Simone) impersonate the absent Josette, enabling him to earn enough profits to keep the bank from taking his business. It is here that the Brassard brothers, happy go lucky Pierre (Robert Young) and businesslike David Jr. (Don Ameche), make the acquaintance of the girl they believe is Josette, intending to woo her away from their easily duped father. Renee is encouraged to keep up the charade to keep the manager happy, and this includes riverboat rides with Pierre, and one rain drenched Sunday drive with David, who finds himself falling in love with a girl who does not act at all like the gold digger he thinks she is. The imminent return of the real Josette does not prevent a happy ending for all, except perhaps for Josette's companion, played to comic perfection by the scene stealing Joan Davis. Among the unbilled cast members can be spotted Lon Chaney Jr., as a boatman for young David, hoping to catch up with Pierre in his ardent pursuit of sweet Renee. Chaney's two year stint at 20th Century-Fox resulted in few credited roles, but at least here he's granted some lines to distinguish him from Robert Lowery's equally miniscule boatman.

Thoroughly routine studio A feature, which only belatedly develops any traction as a winning Simone Simon & Don Ameche interact.

A labored plot has Collier as the pensioned-off owner of a fish cannery, now run by sons Young and Ameche, becoming involved with French cabaret star Josette/Birrell. Having just separated him from a hat check girl, they ship him out of town on a bogus business trip and Birrell follows, leaving Lahr's Silver Moon night club, where she was booked, without an attraction till (also incidentally French) wardrobe girl Simon, who sings in the local choir, is rung in as the absent star - would be elegant number where she lip-synchs the song about dropping petals in the diners' glasses. Under the predictable misunderstanding, Young attempts to romance Simone and Ameche becomes jealous and showers her with fur coats till it's all sorted out with a big production number.

Ameche is more at ease of the two brilliantined leading men and all Simon's charming is wasted. The recognisable comics labor long and unproductively with unfunny lines and undercranked pratfalls. Handling is mechanical with high key lighting, process backgrounds and unconvincing yacht models accommodating the slack foreground action. Some fun in spotting the celebrities to be - Robert Lowry, Chaney Jr.

Nothing remarkable in this poor example of the Hollywood production line, which Dwan took over at short notice.

Josette, the sophisticated singer has attracted the attention of David Brassard senior. His two sons vow to get him away from the clutches of this woman who threatens to waste their father's fortune. In order to do so, they decide to go to the Silver Moon night club seeking to talk to Josette, not realizing the older Brassard has gone after the chanteuse to New York.

Meanwhile, back at the cabaret, Barney Barnaby, its owner, finds himself in a mess trying to replace the headliner without much luck. Never fear, May Morris, a minor performer, suggests he hires the sweet Renee, a choir singer, to impersonate the absent Josette. It's at this moment when the younger Brassards, David and Pierre, decide to have it out with the singer, but in fact neither brother knows about the real identity of the fake Josette.

As it turns out, Pierre, falls heads over heels for Renee. In fact, Renee has a mind of her own and sees the quality in the more grounded brother, David, who in turn falls in love with the sweet young woman, not before having to fight for her with his own brother.

"Josette", directed by Alan Dawn, is a seldom shown movie from the late 1930s that has a lot going for it thanks to the wonderful cast. This was one of the few films in which French star Michelle Simon appeared in American pictures. She was a charismatic presence who holds her own opposite of two great comedians of the time, Don Ameche and Robert Young. The result is a delightful comedy that is worth a look because of the talented cast that was assembled. Also, in minor roles, a wonderful Bert Lahr, the amazing Joan Davis, William Demarest and William Collier, among others.