Examiner par boblipton

Ian Hunter is broke, and that's how he likes it. He befriends young John Singer, they charm landlady Muriel George, and Hunter has a meet cute with Nancy O'Neil. Hunter has a big idea to make petrol stations busier. Miss O'Neil suggests he take it to Peter Gawthorne. Gawthorne throws him out of his office, so Hunter takes it to the failing competition. He also takes Miss Neil into the office as his private secretary. He doesn't know she's Gawthorne's daughter.

Michael Powell's movie for Warner's Teddington branch bumps along at a good pace, with people speaking fast, things happening, and so forth. Yet the art deco look and lack of urgency about the characters' problems makes it feel a lot like the lesser stuff that RKO would be turning out in a year. I am struck by the idea that this is more a burlesque of the urban romcom than an example of the form itself, Matters fall into place far too quickly, then it's on to the next plot point. As facilely and pleasantly as it's directed, it feels insincere, as if everyone said "let's make this movie, and maybe the next one will be more interesting." And then everyone put in a full day's work, and did their best, and then just forgot about it when they came in to work the day after. But I feel that way about a lot of the lesser RKO romcoms too.