Outside of leading lady June Allyson, this is perfectly cast, but comparisons are inevitable to the 1936 perfect original. I found June Allyson a questionable choice as dippy socialite Irene but David Niven a perfect Godfrey. As the parents of Allyson and delightful trouble maker Martha Hyer, Robert Keith and Jessie Royce Landis couldn't be more perfect. Jeff Donnell as the maid, Jay Robinson as a hanger on piano player friend of Landis and Eva Gabor stealing her scenes as an old chum of Niven's.
The opening scene of Allyson chasing her sister along the East River shows a glimpse of 50's Manhattan prior to a major overhaul, but unfortunately most of the film is inside, a glamorous mansion set, with nightclubs in addition. But that makes it a bit stagy as well. A poorly staged cat fight between Allyson and Hyer is made all the worse by the stand-in for Allyson having a completely different hairstyle than the one that June had been wearing since 1944.
Allyson tries way too hard in one of her many remakes and doesn't come close to Carole Lombard. She doesn't have the right touch to be believable as a bubble headed socialite who's smarter than she looks. Who better to take on a William Powell role than Niven, who would do the same years later with "Murder By Death". It's colorful and fast moving but the feeling of been there, done that, and better, overflows throughout the film.
The opening scene of Allyson chasing her sister along the East River shows a glimpse of 50's Manhattan prior to a major overhaul, but unfortunately most of the film is inside, a glamorous mansion set, with nightclubs in addition. But that makes it a bit stagy as well. A poorly staged cat fight between Allyson and Hyer is made all the worse by the stand-in for Allyson having a completely different hairstyle than the one that June had been wearing since 1944.
Allyson tries way too hard in one of her many remakes and doesn't come close to Carole Lombard. She doesn't have the right touch to be believable as a bubble headed socialite who's smarter than she looks. Who better to take on a William Powell role than Niven, who would do the same years later with "Murder By Death". It's colorful and fast moving but the feeling of been there, done that, and better, overflows throughout the film.