Clark Gable is fine as usual, but this film is so obviously struggling to amuse the audience that it becomes painful, then dull, to watch. The reliance on repeated shtick and what is often a wasted talent (Donald Meek's take as the mentally unbalanced caretaker is depressing, as he is usually a reliable character actor, here asked to broaden his approach to paint a personality of bizarre - but not amusing - proportions). I really wanted to enjoy this, but the speed at which it became obvious this was a leap at an "It Happened One Night" clone only made it suffer by comparison. Every frame screamed "love me!"
Others speak of the chemistry between Gable and Crawford, but I do not see how it translates to the screen; I never once thought they were meant for one another, and was not entertained by the time it took to get there. The entire film - although spotted with good dialogue - failed to convince me that there was a guiding intelligence behind the tale, that the creators were convinced of its vitality as a comedy, or that it was meant as anything other than a desire to cash in on Gable's award-winning role in a better film. The slapstick is painful, the male rivalry unconvincing, and Tone particularly grievous, as he mugs and screams his way through this "comedy."
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