A temperamental Swedish film star walks off the set of the musical romance she's starring in, and producer Edmund Lowe sets out to find an unknown Swedish girl to take her place. He happens to be at a traveling carnival (refered to here as a circus) one night and spots a beautiful girl (Ann Sothern) with a French accent working one of the game booths. He decides that, upon finding she's really American, she can be taught all of the Swedish customs and how to speak with a Swedish accent. Even though he fools studio head Gregory Ratoff, his jealous girlfriend (Miriam Jordan) might be another issue.
While this is considered a musical, there are only three songs listed, and the title song is heard three times throughout the film's short running time. It's instantly recognizable, and certainly beautiful, but after a while, it's just a bit too much. It reminded me of how tired I was of "I'll String Along With You" by the end of "Twenty Million Sweethearts" and "Love Walked In" by the end of "The Goldwyn Follies". Then, there's Tala Birell as the temperamental Swedish diva at the beginning, so obnoxious it made me wonder whether the writer was giving a slam towards MGM's own Swedish diva, Greta Garbo, or the abundance of European exotics in Hollywood at the time. Ann Sothern is almost one-dimensionally goody two shoes with Greta Meyer providing a ton of schmaltz as the kindly Swedish woman who trains Sothern on all things Nordic. It's obvious how this will end the minute Sothern's Cinderella runs from the ball, and even though the mood is sweet, it is too much sugar which causes cavities.
While this is considered a musical, there are only three songs listed, and the title song is heard three times throughout the film's short running time. It's instantly recognizable, and certainly beautiful, but after a while, it's just a bit too much. It reminded me of how tired I was of "I'll String Along With You" by the end of "Twenty Million Sweethearts" and "Love Walked In" by the end of "The Goldwyn Follies". Then, there's Tala Birell as the temperamental Swedish diva at the beginning, so obnoxious it made me wonder whether the writer was giving a slam towards MGM's own Swedish diva, Greta Garbo, or the abundance of European exotics in Hollywood at the time. Ann Sothern is almost one-dimensionally goody two shoes with Greta Meyer providing a ton of schmaltz as the kindly Swedish woman who trains Sothern on all things Nordic. It's obvious how this will end the minute Sothern's Cinderella runs from the ball, and even though the mood is sweet, it is too much sugar which causes cavities.