It's nice to see Frederic March and Carole Lombard in color, especially since this was the only color film she ever made. The premise is pretty silly, that so much would be made out of this 'dying' woman in the press and all over New York that shows would be stopped in her presence, she would be given the key to the city, etc., but it's a screwball comedy, so you just have to roll with it. The film had its moments, such as the treatment March faces in Vermont, with its taciturn adults, and a child who scampers out from behind a fence to bite him on the leg. However, it's pretty uneven in terms of humor, with a lot of run of the mill content, and several groaners. You'll also have to forgive some racial stereotypes, and March working Lombard up into a fever by boxing with her, and then knocking her out in one of the film's big scenes. Those bits are in keeping with the time period and not too ugly though, and it was nice to see Lombard give as good as she got. The production value for the film was high, as despite the weakness of the early technicolor process, it had a nice score, and many fantastic shots around New York.
My favorite moment in the film is when March proposes to Lombard, despite thinking she has only a few weeks to live. In a film with a lot of screwball moments and one-liners, it had this little gem: "Oh Wally, I... I mustn't. Don't ask me. Please, just kiss me once more and let it go at that without ruining your life." "So what the devil is there better to life than we've got? A handful of perfect hours. That's all the luckiest ever get out of it. Just a handful of hours to save and remember. And then... I'll be there at the end, sailor. I'll be there waving you goodbye. It'll be the same as if you and I had lived forever. And you'll... you'll grow old in my heart."
My favorite moment in the film is when March proposes to Lombard, despite thinking she has only a few weeks to live. In a film with a lot of screwball moments and one-liners, it had this little gem: "Oh Wally, I... I mustn't. Don't ask me. Please, just kiss me once more and let it go at that without ruining your life." "So what the devil is there better to life than we've got? A handful of perfect hours. That's all the luckiest ever get out of it. Just a handful of hours to save and remember. And then... I'll be there at the end, sailor. I'll be there waving you goodbye. It'll be the same as if you and I had lived forever. And you'll... you'll grow old in my heart."