Wise Girl ** (1937, Miriam Hopkins, Ray Milland) – Classic Movie Review 11,929

The romantic comedy Wise Girl stars Miriam Hopkins.

Director Leigh Jason’s 1937 RKO Radio Pictures romantic comedy film Wise Girl pairs Miriam Hopkins and Ray Milland.

Wealthy Manhattan woman Susan Fletcher (Hopkins) goes down town undercover in the guise of an impoverished actress to look for her sister’s two children, in order to gain custody of her orphaned nieces, who are being looked after by poor Greenwich Village artist John O’Halloran (Milland). Her deceased brother-in-law placed Joan (Betty Philson) and Katie (Marianna Strelby) in the custody of his brother, John O’Halloran, in his will. Susan talks John’s landlord into giving her a place to stay.

The story by Allan Scott (also screenplay) and Charles Norman is a reasonable premise for an amusingly dated daffy comedy propelled along with winning performances from the leads, with an especially vivacious turn by Milland and some entertaining character support.

It is the only acting credit for the two girls, Betty Philson and Marianna Strelby, who play Joan and Katie.

This film was weak at the box office, with RKO losing $114,000 (budget $448,000, box office $490,000), which is perhaps why it is the only teaming of Hopkins and Milland in a feature.

500 extras are at work in the fight scenes filmed at the Hollywood Legion Stadium.

The cast are Miriam Hopkins as Susan Fletcher, Ray Milland as John O’Halloran, Walter Abel as Karl Stevens, Henry Stephenson as Simon Fletcher, Alec Craig as Dermot O’Neil, Guinn Williams as Mike Malloy, Betty Philson as Joan O’Halloran, Marianna Strelby as Katie O’Halloran, Margaret Dumont as Mrs. Bell-Rivington, Jean De Briac [Jean deBriac] as George, Ivan Lebedeff as Prince Michael, Rafael Storm as Prince Ivan, Gregory Gaye as Prince Leopold, Richard Lane as 1st Detective, Tom Kennedy as 2nd Detective, James Finlayson as the Sheriff.

© Derek Winnert 2022 Classic Movie Review 11,929

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