A strained screwball comedy starring Eddie Bracken as a kleptomaniac who becomes involved with a gang of jewel thieves and falls for pretty Veronica Lake. It's a showcase for Bracken, who plays his nervous routine to the hilt. But the script is bland and none of the gags are particularly funny. The most memorable bit is one involving a flagpole and even that feels like something I've seen before. There's also very little chemistry between Bracken and Lake. The pair reportedly didn't get along off screen and it really shows. For her part, Lake gets little to no funny moments of her own. She mostly plays it straight, which is disappointing as she proved in films like Sullivan's Travels she could do comedy quite well. The supporting cast is the movie's saving grace, with Willie Best and Donald MacBride as two of the standouts. It's really not a great movie and certainly not a contender with the best screwball comedies from the period. It's watchable but a bit of a chore to sit through at times. If you're a big fan of Bracken, you'll probably like it more than I did.
Review of Hold That Blonde!
