This quota quickie actually made me laugh a few times, thanks particularly to the charm of Anne Crawford -- in her first billed role, as a neglected wife trying to get her businessman husband to notice her -- and William Hartnell, the future Dr. Who, demonstrating his expertise at physical comedy. During a Latin American vacation, Crawford tries to make her husband think she's meeting a lover at a local jewelry store. When he follows her there, they get mixed up with a gentleman jewel thief and his assistant.
If you've only seen Hartnell in Dr. Who, which he made toward the end of his career, you'll be surprised by his physical grace. As the thief's assistant, he steals most of his scenes and does some great work in a chase sequence trying to keep some stolen diamonds from a police detective.
Crawford was only in her twenties and looks quite lovely. She has a good way with a comic reaction, but also keeps it all serious enough to make the rather thin material look better than it is.
This was one of Warner Bros.' low-budget British productions shot at Teddington Studio. It was made to satisfy government demands that a percentage of films shown in the country be made in Great Britain with British talent. The film looks much better than that might lead you to expect, re-creating a Latin town entirely on sound stages. It's a pleasant way to pass 90 minutes.
