A sophisticated pre-Code comedy-drama starring William Powell and a young Bette Davis. Even though it is referred to as a “musical”, it actually contains few musical scenes. But the big production number is a great one – a plush, extravagant spectacle staged by the legendary choreographer Busby Berkeley.

Davis looks unlike herself here, as the studio has her all dolled up like a real-life Barbie doll, complete with platinum blonde hair and heavy makeup. Though she does look beautiful, one can almost sense her discomfort with this (in reality, she hated it), but always the professional, she pulls through and does as good a job as she can with the lackluster role she is given. On the other hand, William Powell’s role fits him perfectly and he is both charming and a cad at the same time.

Also worth mentioning are the “fashions” of the title, which are gorgeous, glamorous and fit in well with the stylish Art Deco surroundings. A light, fluffy confection obviously produced to entertain down-on-their-luck audiences during the Depression, this is still rather enjoyable and charming today.