Absolutely hilarious screwball comedy. A hotshot newspaper reporter(Fredric March)tries to get in the good graces of his boss(Walter Connolly)by exploiting the "imminent" death of an ailing young woman(Carole Lombard). By way of newsprint the doomed young lady becomes the toast of New York City until her health situation is revealed as a hoax. Supporting cast includes: Frank Fay, Margaret Hamilton and Charles Winninger. Lombard is wonderful in the role of the ailing/doomed Hazel Flagg from Vermont. My favorite scene is when March is walking down the sidewalk and a small boy bolts through a gated fence to bite him on the back of the leg and scurry back to safety. This knee-slapping comedy is directed by William A. Wellman and its a crime not to watch.

Unlike many of the screwball comedies of the 1930s, this one is a bit different because it is both funny AND excellent social commentary. The film makes fun of the cult of celebrity as well as the fickle and short attention-span of the public. The film begins with a cute scene--as a foreign potentate is being honored at a fancy dinner. However, the "celebrity" turns out to be a hoax and the reporter responsible (Frederic March) for promoting this fake is demoted by the newspaper boss, Walter Connelly (who, as usual, is very funny in a supporting role as a blow-hard boss whose nerves are frayed).

Later, March is able to convince his boss for one more chance, as he convinces him he has a new and TRUE human interest story the newspaper can promote--a pretty young lady dying from radium poisoning! The lady turns out to be wacky Carole Lombard and just before March shows up to interview her, she finds out from her dopey doctor (Charles Winninger) that he was wrong in his diagnosis and she will live after all. March does NOT know this and innocently promises to take Lombard to New York and make her a celebrity. Well, as Lombard's life in Vermont is pretty dull, she doesn't tell him the truth and goes to the big city to be wined and dined as well as being given the key to the city!! It all snowballs very quickly into a nationwide obsession with this "dying" woman and at this point it's too late to tell the truth!

This is only about the first 2/3 of the film. How all this is successfully resolved without them ending up in prison is for you to see for yourself. Also, if you are interested, this was later remade by Martin and Lewis as LIVING IT UP. I personally preferred the 1937 version because of its excellent acting and fast pace. Not a great film, but a very good one that's sure to please.

New York City is full of fakes and liars looking to get ahead. Newspaper reporter Wally Cook (Fredric March) is blamed for a fake African noble hosting a charity gala. He is demoted to write obituary. He begs for a second chance to write about Hazel Flagg (Carole Lombard) who is dying of radium poisoning. He goes to her small town to interview her. Unbeknownst to him, her diagnosis is a mistake. She's desperate to go to a big city like New York. When Wally offers to take her there, she sees no other option than to lie.

This is an early Technicolor screwball comedy. It's interesting to see the color movement in a romantic comedy. I wonder if they went out of their way to bring bright colors onto the screen. As for the plot, the premise is not compelling enough and the rooting interest is muddled. It doesn't make the ship that worthwhile. The movie is screwy but I'm not sure that it's screwball. The colors are more intriguing than the story itself. It is technically interesting but I don't buy the couple.