While Betty Hutton and Fred Astaire are certainly talented artists, they are mismatched here, even though they both give the old college try. The rambunctious Betty tries to bring it down a notch, but she would have better luck working with Paramount's stable of leading men rather than Fred, loaned here from MGM. Betty scored huge the same year in MGM's "Annie Get Your Gun" opposite Howard Keel, but Fred seemed out of step with her large talents even though his talents were pretty huge as well, just in a different way.
Certainly Fred had some partners in his time who seemed to be a contrast to his "white tie and tails", but in the case of Ginger Rogers, their differences complimented each other rather than show how different they were, and Rita Hayworth (his most magnetic partner) could heat up Frosty the Snowman. Betty dominates the storyline here as a widow with a young son who goes against her late husband's grandmother (an imperious Lucille Watson), determined to raise her great grandson in her home with or without Betty present. The future "Phoebe Tyler Wallingford" (Ruth Warrick) plays Betty's likable sister-in-law who dares to stand up to her grandmother, but her character lacks the punch of her future legendary "All My Children" matriarch who was ironically pretty much like Watson is here.
Musically, this isn't one of Fred's best, and his big number with Betty ("Them Dudes Were Doing Our Dance") is embarrassingly corny. They do better with the carnival finale ("The Tunnel of Love") which is interrupted by dialog wrapping up the plot. Betty has a great opening number showing off her loud mouth ("Can't Stop Talking' 'Bout Him"), showing how her voice can be threatened to be heard over a bomb signal. She also has a sweet love song, and Fred gets one of his typical prop-driven dance numbers to the tune of "Hold That Tiger".
There are some great comic moments, such as Betty's two attempts to get her son out of Watson's mansion, one during which she has the poor kid in a pillow case then is forced to chase the cab all the way to the theater where she is performing. Astaire's character is combination dancer and legal counsel (an odd combination of professions) and isn't as well developed as Betty's. Any of Paramount's second string leading men could have played this role, but then, you wouldn't have the dance numbers Fred does do.
Certainly Fred had some partners in his time who seemed to be a contrast to his "white tie and tails", but in the case of Ginger Rogers, their differences complimented each other rather than show how different they were, and Rita Hayworth (his most magnetic partner) could heat up Frosty the Snowman. Betty dominates the storyline here as a widow with a young son who goes against her late husband's grandmother (an imperious Lucille Watson), determined to raise her great grandson in her home with or without Betty present. The future "Phoebe Tyler Wallingford" (Ruth Warrick) plays Betty's likable sister-in-law who dares to stand up to her grandmother, but her character lacks the punch of her future legendary "All My Children" matriarch who was ironically pretty much like Watson is here.
Musically, this isn't one of Fred's best, and his big number with Betty ("Them Dudes Were Doing Our Dance") is embarrassingly corny. They do better with the carnival finale ("The Tunnel of Love") which is interrupted by dialog wrapping up the plot. Betty has a great opening number showing off her loud mouth ("Can't Stop Talking' 'Bout Him"), showing how her voice can be threatened to be heard over a bomb signal. She also has a sweet love song, and Fred gets one of his typical prop-driven dance numbers to the tune of "Hold That Tiger".
There are some great comic moments, such as Betty's two attempts to get her son out of Watson's mansion, one during which she has the poor kid in a pillow case then is forced to chase the cab all the way to the theater where she is performing. Astaire's character is combination dancer and legal counsel (an odd combination of professions) and isn't as well developed as Betty's. Any of Paramount's second string leading men could have played this role, but then, you wouldn't have the dance numbers Fred does do.