Les femmes ne sont pas des anges

Film director Axel von Ambesser and screen writer Richard Romanowsky board a liner for a one-week cruise, and all the young women on board bribe waiter Alfred Neugebauer to be seated near him so they can promote a film career. The one woman who doesn't seem interested is Marte Harell, whom von Ambesser observes being approached by Curd Jürgens approaches. He's a police officer and accuses her of having killed her husband. She confesses, but asks not to be arrested before the cruise's end; there's no way she can leave the ship. Jürgens agrees. Con Ambesser is enchanted, convinced of her innocence, and tries to get her off.

It's a light, frothy, albeit lesser comedy directed by Willi Forst, with a funny cast, and Margot Hielscher -- who tries to promote her own film career by vamping Romanowsky with a cookbook -- sings the title song a couple of times. The plot zigs three or four times in unexpected ways, and it's consistently amusing, with witty lines, silly situations, and a fast pace, once you get past the fact that it's a romantic comedy set on a seagoing cruise ship in 1943.

This picture is not on a par with other Willi Forst pictures of the same period; yet Forst shows his light touch also here. The male lead should have been less dull; weaker moments are compensated by fine comedy. Good music by Mackeben and fine songs sung by Margot Hielscher, who could well have been an angel, add to the enjoyment.

Added attraction for viewers of 1999 is a young Curt Jürgens.