I enjoyed the film; I’m a longtime fan of old Hollywood movies but hadn’t seen this one. Jean Arthur is always an appealing, charming actress. If I were the mother of the character she is playing I would have ordered her to get back on the ship and sail away. I know that she was a vagabond with a hard-knock background but the Barracca lifestyle seemed utterly masculine. I half-expected the movie to end on a bittersweet note, à la “Roman Holiday”. That would have worked—but I admit I like happy endings. One thing I appreciate about these old movies is the way they create the atmosphere of the place. They clearly are on studio sets but the port, for example, looked old, dirty, and dodgy; no Cunarder would be docking there. The deep ponds on the runway made me laugh as did the “yes, they have no bananas” remark.
Just watched this film for the second, maybe third time. Appreciate the review! Cary Grant, handsome and clever as always. I agree he’s underrated. The film has some funny lines, too, when the Kid answers, yes we have no bananas. 🍌
I enjoyed the film; I’m a longtime fan of old Hollywood movies but hadn’t seen this one. Jean Arthur is always an appealing, charming actress. If I were the mother of the character she is playing I would have ordered her to get back on the ship and sail away. I know that she was a vagabond with a hard-knock background but the Barracca lifestyle seemed utterly masculine. I half-expected the movie to end on a bittersweet note, à la “Roman Holiday”. That would have worked—but I admit I like happy endings. One thing I appreciate about these old movies is the way they create the atmosphere of the place. They clearly are on studio sets but the port, for example, looked old, dirty, and dodgy; no Cunarder would be docking there. The deep ponds on the runway made me laugh as did the “yes, they have no bananas” remark.
Great film! We are big fans of both Cary Grant and Jean Arthur, mostly for their comic roles. This more serious film showed the depth of their acting!
Just watched this film for the second, maybe third time. Appreciate the review! Cary Grant, handsome and clever as always. I agree he’s underrated. The film has some funny lines, too, when the Kid answers, yes we have no bananas. 🍌
“Only Angels Have Wings” is a terrific film. My favorite Cary Grant film (& performance) is Hitchcock’s “North by Northwest”.