Love Is News (1937)

A cynical newspaper reporter (Tyrone Power) poses as a security officer in order to get a scoop on a headline making heiress (Loretta Young). When the heiress discovers the reporter's subterfuge, she plots her own revenge to get even. Directed by Tay Garnett (THE POSTMAN ALWAYS RINGS TWICE), this screwball comedy hits the right notes so why isn't it funnier? You can't fault Garnett's rapid pacing and the script is decent. Perhaps it's in the casting. While Loretta Young is surprisingly good, you don't think of Tyrone Power when it comes to screwball comedy and there's a reason why. Oh, he's a charmer alright and he does give it his best shot but he doesn't have a comic actor's instinct. 11 years later, Fox remade the film under the title THAT WONDERFUL URGE with Gene Tierney in Young's role and Power repeating his role. He's much better in that one so perhaps he just needed some seasoning to relax into the part. Still, it's a diverting piece of Golden age fluff. With Don Ameche, George Sanders, Jane Darwell, Elisha Cook Jr. and in a cringe inducing performance, Stepin Fetchit.