It's A Wonderful World (1939)

A private detective (James Stewart) is sentenced to a year in prison for shielding a convicted murderer (Ernest Truex) who was framed. The detective escapes when he jumps into a river from the train taking him to prison. He takes a ditsy poetess (Claudette Colbert) hostage as they go off in search of the real killer. Directed by W.S. Van Dyke (THE THIN MAN), this is the only pairing of Colbert and Stewart so it's a shame that it isn't a very good movie. Stewart's character is a bit of a jerk and while Colbert is a marvelous proven comedienne, there's a strong sensibility about her that makes her wrong for the dizzy dame (Carole Lombard's specialty) she plays here. Normally, I'm partial to murder mystery/screwball comedy combinations but even I found my tolerance taxed since neither the comedy or mystery amounts to much. With Sidney Blackmer, Frances Drake, Nat Pendleton, Guy Kibbee and Cecil Cunningham.