I didn't expect that Dennis O'Keefe would come close to the fast talking gregarious personality of Lee Tracy, bit he does a fine job as a much subtler version of the ambulance chasing attorney being investigated by Ann Morriss for the D. A.'s office. This remake of the 1933 fast talking classic has been toned down by the code, but a good script still keeps it crisp and sparkling if not nearly as fun. O'Keefe has been getting away with his shyster activities for a long time which Morriss's boss, Henry O'Neil, is determined to stop. But O'Keefe and sidekick Nat Pendleton are one step ahead of them, that is until Morriss shows up.
Not one of MGM's more successful contract players. Morriss started off in leads (with this being her debut) and ended up in uncredited bits, and while beautiful, she's rather generic. It didn't harm her though as she married the film's director, Edwin L. Marin. Lewis Stone is far from Judge Hardy in this as a drunken physician, similar to his bitter doctor from "Grand Hotel". Pendleton adds comic relief with aide from John Qualen and Ruth Gillette as a heavily accented Swedish accent. The plot is more serious than comic, and has a few tragic twists, but is a classy, fast moving production that does its predecessor proud by at least being an enjoyable film. The differences in Tracy's performance in the 1933 original and O'Keefe here makes this almost seem like a different film.
Not one of MGM's more successful contract players. Morriss started off in leads (with this being her debut) and ended up in uncredited bits, and while beautiful, she's rather generic. It didn't harm her though as she married the film's director, Edwin L. Marin. Lewis Stone is far from Judge Hardy in this as a drunken physician, similar to his bitter doctor from "Grand Hotel". Pendleton adds comic relief with aide from John Qualen and Ruth Gillette as a heavily accented Swedish accent. The plot is more serious than comic, and has a few tragic twists, but is a classy, fast moving production that does its predecessor proud by at least being an enjoyable film. The differences in Tracy's performance in the 1933 original and O'Keefe here makes this almost seem like a different film.