The Fabulous Suzanne

I think I may be forgiven for having my suspicions about a movie that dares to use the word "fabulous" in the title, but on examination this turns out to be an erratically funny comedy that had a few very funny sections in it.

Pamela Britton is engaged to diner owner William Henry. When she is left a legacy of $7000, she says they can get married now. Henry, however, is one of those hairy-chested he-men who want to install wifey in the kitchen, and won't take a dime from her. So she ups and heads down to Manhattan with her lucky pin; she can stick it in a racing sheet to pick the winners, and she figures it will work on stocks. When it does, she has the attention of straightlaced Rudy Vallee, his wastrel brother Richard Denning, and their charming father, Otto Kruger, each of whom wants to marry Miss Britton.

In the screenwriters' efforts to make Miss Britton lucky rather than smart, they may have soothed some masculine nerves, but I find the method a bit of a stretch. On the plus side of the ledger, there are some funny lines, particularly in the scenes with Grady Sutton, as well as Irén Ágay as Miss Britton's French maid -- did she audition in costume for the director, husband Steve Sekely? There's also a good sequence of door-slamming farce, and one bit in which Mr. Kruger flubs a line, recovers, and it was left back in -- at Republic, the happy accident calls for no second take, as does the unhappy accident.