This is another take off on the Escape Bride - aka Night Bus aka It happened One night - incidentally the first of the series pre-dating the short story (so probably the story itself was a rip-off) - of British Movie - Jessie Matthew's 'There Goes The Bride' (1932) - so one year senior to the short story.
I will for the time being overlook the propaganda (anti red) aspect - that is because unlike any other movie industry, of any other country (and I would not exclude even the 3R from the list) , Hollywood had always been the proxy for Government policies, and had been making movies to mould the public sentiment towards it. In fact it is quite unfortunate - but the Government wanted it - that the "anti-war" sentiment of the Student leader had been ridiculed in the movie - for the historians - probably the assassination of the Socialist and Antiwar icon, Jean Jaurès, (who in fact preached exactly what the Villain, Arner, was preaching) culminated in WW-1. Probably - or most likely - had he not been assassinated, the WW1 - and its result, rise of Nazis and WW2 itself was avoidable. But those are wishful thinking, with the Governments as war-hawks, financed by armament manufacturers, moulding the population through all media, may be he would have failed in long term.
I will, despite my stron opposition to it, overlook this transgression, and with that, the movie in fact is quite enjoyable. As predecessor to It Happened One Night - naturally it calls for comparison.
Even in that - I won't really say this wasn't in contention. But that is my opinion - I personally prefer the 'B' star, Young over superstar gable, and Barbara anyway is better looking than Colbert - and none of the two are deficient in acting faculty either. Even the suffering father, Purnell Pratt, was quite charming, as much as Walter, and probably a bit more, due to his not being as rumbustious as Connolly. Only the unwanted fiance Hardie Albright (as Leonard Arner) was a bit disappointing - here he had meatier role, but that weakness were more than compensated by Cliff Edwards (as P.J. Rooney).
Well - over all another too underrated - definitely watchable movie - just one have to adjust for the misplaced prejudice.
