| Cast overview: | |||
| Dennis O'Keefe | ... | ||
| Helen Walker | ... | ||
| June Havoc | ... | ||
| Eddie 'Rochester' Anderson | ... | ||
| Gail Patrick | ... | ||
| Mischa Auer | ... | ||
| Nana Bryant | ... | ||
| John Litel | ... | ||
| Joe Sawyer | ... |
Hacky Smith
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| Neil Hamilton | ... |
Mr. Grant
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| Herbert Rudley | ... |
Nopper Harrison
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| Thurston Hall | ... | ||
Monty Brewster is a penniless, former U.S. Army soldier back from World War II Europe who learns that he has inherited $8 million from a distant relative, but there's a catch: he must spend $1 million of that money in less than two months before his 30th birthday in order to inherit the rest. Since he cannot tell anyone about spending the money as part of the agreement, everyone thinks that Brewster has flipped when he practically knocks himself out on a spending spree to get rid of the $1 million in time. Written by matt-282
An archetypal fast and furious, beat-the-clock screwball comedy based on a typically offbeat idea of a returning soldier standing to inherit millions if he can spend a million dollars in two months, but not tell anyone in the process. Cue a procession of hair-brained supposedly dead-duck schemes and investments which naturally come good to thwart our hero's plans until things right themselves by the end.
The basic idea is a good one and you suspect in the hands of a Frank Capra or Preston Sturges could have been wrung for more laughs and one suspects a bit deeper social comment, this failing exposed none more so than when Brewster's overnight largess to his black servant is to offer him a lackey's job for life, just after he's thrown tens of thousands of dollars at the rest of his nearest and dearest.
For me the pacing was just too frenetic and while likable enough the lead actors lacked the personality and timing of the recognised A-list acting talent of the day. Plus, I have to say the crudely deferential treatment of said black man-servant, all loud wise-cracks and "Yass boss, no boss" dates the film horribly.
But putting that to one side, this is a rollicking, occasionally humorous and engaging Golden Age comedy, worth diverting 75 minutes of your time for.