Martin Pasko This weirdly inept attempt at screwball comedy is undone by the casting of its three leads. Edmond O'Brien -- best remembered today as the desperate poisoning victim in the 1950 cult classic "D.O.A." and the alcoholic senator in "Seven Days In May" (1964) -- and Ruth Warrick -- known primarily for playing Charles Foster Kane's first wife in "Citizen Kane" and a long run on a TV soap opera -- were never known as adept farceurs. And moppet actress Joan Carroll has the kind of physical and verbal precocity that makes the audience wonder if perhaps she might not be a midget (OK, "little person," if we have not yet appropriately repudiated the silliness of political correctness). And she's a little person with a distracting tendency to let her mouth hang open in closeup reaction shots, at that. The script -- rewritten (over Frank Ryan) by Bert Granet, suggesting that a certain paucity of talent may have been what redirected him to demi-success as a TV producer in the '50s and '60s -- is littered with what are presumably meant to be running gags, but bespeak a lack of understanding that to merit that classification, the shtik must be funny, not merely repetitive. These "runners" include the bizarre notion of a train's sound mimicking the name of a famous baseball player of the period, Heinie Manusch, and every passenger on the train getting the name stuck in their head, treating us to tedious extended sequences of extras chanting the name over and over again in syncopation with the chugging of the locomotive. There is also Carroll's character, Bridget, who repeatedly demands, for no apparent reason, "What's wrong with the name Bridget?" This farrago of badly-executed ideas is ultimately ill-served by the direction of B movie hack Richard Wallace, whose coverage is so inadequate that the cutter is repeatedly forced to go from masters to two-shots in which actors' positions and expressions change radically, making startling jump cuts out of what should be seamless transitions. Wallace even manages to undermine the usually-redoubtable Eve Arden, evidently sabotaging her trademark talent for wringing laughs from the lamest one-liners by underplaying. It almost looks like Wallace coaxed her to overact. It's painful to watch...not unlike the film as a whole.

ksf-2 it's the fringe, supporting character actors that keep this movie even partly interesting. the basic plot is sound - a secretary in a law firm must take a little girl up to a vacation lodge to keep her feuding parents from abducting her. Frank Pangborn is the leader of the birdwatching group that shows up at the lodge - he's great as always, but that birdcall bit goes on for 4 minutes and 15 seconds - way too long. viewers will recognize Charles Lane, the detective (usually plays a cop, judge, or a very serious clerk.) Eve Arden plays fellow reporter trying to get a story on the little girl. several recurring gags - the rhythm of the train wheels, the lunatic staff of the lodge, the pranks that the little girl plays. and that cast-list on IMDb - longer than a soup line in NYC! the leads are Ed O'Brien & Ruth Warrick This was one of Warrick's and Obrien's first roles, so that may explain the lack of chemistry between them.

blondami2 Totally fab opening has a train-track cadence set to baseball great Heine Manush's name. The name is used throughout the film and sets the tone of silliness. Filled with terrific chacacter actors, the films bounces along despite the lame plot. But it's always a pleasure to see Franklin Pangborn, Almira Sessions, Charles Lane, Eve Arden, Luis Alberni, Jimmy Conlin, George Cleveland, George Chandler, Fortunio Bonanova, Nora Cecil, Marjorie Gateson, and others in solid roles. Ruth Warrick is ok, Edmond O'Brien less so. Joan Carroll as the kid is blah, but Robert Smith is downright terrible. Heine Manusch, Heine Manusch!!!

David (Handlinghandel) Ruth Warrick does not exude charm. Edmund O'Brein is fun but a little strange in a comic role. The child is all right.The plot if lots of fun, though, and some of the supporting players are delightful.Franklin Pangborn gets one of the juiciest roles I've ever seen him in. He plays the leader of a bird watchers group.I have to say, his role seems modeled somewhat on Charlie Ruggles's in "Bringing Up Baby." But the bird watchers' assault on the hideaway hotel is genuinely hilarious.The whole movie has a sweet, friendly quality.