This has that familiar feel of a Fred and Ginger movie. The plot is familiar as well - It's that same old done-a-thousand-times comedy plot of mistaken identity but this one does stand out from the crowd. It's got its own special sparkle and although it's no TOP HAT, it's a lot funnier and more engaging than you'd expect.
As part of their drive to break the lucrative American market, British International Pictures lured Constance Cummings over from Hollywood. Back in America she was never 'the star' and although had been in a few excellent films, she had never been given the opportunity to shine. In England however she was Hollywood royalty and being given star billing seemed to have boosted her confidence and charisma like an injection of rocket fuel. The story has her character impersonating a big American movie star who is swooned over by hundreds of adoring fans when visiting Europe - this clever little in-joke probably reflects exactly how she felt herself when making this in London. She's not the simpering, smiling clothes-horse supporting another actor in this - she really shines.
For such a familiar old plot, the script is surprisingly witty with enough twists and turns to keep you guessing how it will all end. Unlike the so-called "quota-quickies" which this studio, BIP specialised in (As a result of the 1927 Cinematography Act, UK cinemas by law had to show a certain percentage films made in the UK so BIP - known as The Porridge factory, churned out literally hundreds of hours of rubbish to comply.) HEADS WE GO had a decent budget, a sophisticated art-deco look and director who loved his work namely Monty Banks, who specialised in fast-paced farces like this. It is a comedy so we're not going to get Barbara Stanwyck style acting but what we get is absolutely fine. The two leads, Constance Cummings and Frank Lawton are very engaging as are the supporting cast. There is one fly in the ointment and that's Gus McNaughton who is one of those horrendously annoying Music Hall types of comic - the sort which explain why Music Hall (or Vaudeville in the US) fortunately died out. Apologies to any descendants of Mr McNaughton, but I developed a sense of sheer hatred for the guy as more and more screen time was consumed by him - which possibly isn't the ideal emotion for a comedy film? But other than him, this is a fun, slightly better than average typical 1930s farce.
