Ladies Should Listen (1934)

The switchboard operator (Frances Drake) in an apartment building takes it upon herself to stop a businessman (Cary Grant) from getting involved with a married woman (Rosita Moreno) who's plotting with her husband (Rafael Corio) to swindle him. This amusing farce has all the right elements including a witty script and a game cast up for the shenanigans. But it never quite sparkles and I'll lay that at the feet of the director Frank Tuttle (THIS GUN FOR HIRE). The pacing feels lethargic when the action should fizz and gallop. Perhaps Ernst Lubitsch could have made something of it all. That aside, it's still modestly entertaining and a couple of the performances, notably Nydia Westman's ditzy heiress and the ever dependable Edward Everett Horton, show a true farceur spirit. The film's one hour running time assures that it won't wear out its welcome. With Ann Sheridan, Charles Ray and George Barbier.