With that high fallutin' accent of hers, many people assumed that the Tasmanian born Merle Oberon was Brutish, and certainly, she did work in English films for nearly a decade before "going Hollywood". This film actually has her playing a Bostonian, which is so English in its old society ways that her alleged British heritage makes sense. Still, she's one of the mist stunning women on film, exotic and ladylike, even as Wuthering Heights' wild, sweet Cathy. But unfortunately, outside of a handful of genuine classics, she's starred in quite a few less than memorable films, and this forgotten comedy is deservedly one of her worst, if not for her presence in it, but for the weak plot line that outlines its structure.
She goes to the obviously still recovering French countryside, a poor community still recovering from war, hoping to claim the inheritance of a beautiful home. But she finds herself blocked every way, and obviously hated for not being French. She's at odds instantly with Paul Henreid, the only person who seems to know English, but after an instant dislike, it slowly turns romantic. Obviously that part was thrown in because without that, there'd be no plot.
Oberon made two European films in succession, the other being the dreadfully boring "Affair in Monte Carlo". There's an amusing scene involving ill-placed chickens who lay eggs at the oddest moments, while a scene where she runs around the house panicking during a thunderstorm where it appears that various townspeople are trying to scare her away. The whole thing is filmed very oddly which makes it difficult to get through.
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