Classy screwball musical from Gaumont which is bathed in the lustre of Jessie Matthews' stellar performance. She (yet again) plays a singer/dancer struggling to break into showbiz. Co-star Robert Young is a gossip columnist who fills column inches with stories about a made up madcap socialite called Mrs Smythe-Smythe.
Jessie simply steps into the role and becomes famous for being famous. The star gets to perform many excellent song and dance numbers in a variety of styles and is dressed magnificently. The costume and set design were by veterans of German cinema. All the crew would later get Oscar recognition. This brims with quality from top to bottom.
The actors squeeze all the laughs out of the witty screwball script. Jessie is superb at the comedy and is fortunate to be matched by a genuine Hollywood leading man. There is an obvious influence of American musicals. This was released over there, but these scanty costumes must have challenged the stricter censorship.
Matthews' elocution lessons left her with an old fashioned faux-posh speaking voice and her high vocal range was already dated in the age of jazz. But she has charisma to burn. She's no classic beauty but has one of cinema's most adorable overbites! It's not saying much to claim this is the best British musical of the thirties. But it compares with the best of Hollywood too.