Isnt It Romantic (film)

Plot

Major Euclid Cameron (Roland Culver), an officer of the Southern Army during the Civil War, writes his memoirs about the hardships of battle right after the war. It is set in Indiana, at the time of Reconstruction, and the Majors finances are not in order. Camerons daughters, Candy (Veronica Lake), Susie (Mona Freeman) and Rose (Mary Hatcher), urge him to get a job so they can pay the familys debts. The strongheaded Major refuses, taking pride in the fact that no Cameron has ever had a decent job. He talks himself out of a job offer from a banker in town, Clarissa Thayer (Kathryn Givney), a single woman who has always found him attractive.

The romantic Candy is in town with her fiance Horace Frazier (Kathryn Givney), but her flirtatious behaviour angers Horace. Candys talking to complete strangers leads her into the clutches of swindler Richard "Rick" Brannon (Patric Knowles). Horace believes he recalls Rick from his days at music school back in the day, and invites to him the engagement party for Camerons daughter Rose and Ben Logan (Richard Webb), the son of Judge Thomas Logan (Charles Evans). The Judge and the Major are old friends, and at the party they start arguing about the Civil War. At the party, Rick flirts with Rose in front of everyone, and the party breaks up when a fight starts between Rose and Ben.

Rick continues his inappropriate siege by sending Candy a box of flowers and silk stocking the next day. When the Major finds out he is outraged, but soon calms down when he hears about an investment opportunity from Rick. The Major is persuaded to line up as an investor in an oil drilling enterprise in Arkansas.

The same day Susie, Candy, Horace and Ben go to a movie together, but are forced to leave the theatre after Ben gets into a fight. Upon their return, Ben reconcile with Rose as they go on a picnic together. The Judge then agrees to throw another engagement party for the couple, since the first one went wrong.

The unsuspecting Candy eventually falls for Ricks charms, and the Major agrees to collect $3500 from his acquaintances to support Ricks business enterprise. After he has given the money to Rick, he learns that the Judge suspects Rick of being a swindler. At the night of the second engagement party, before the Major has time to react, Rick has left town with the money. Candy has also left a note saying she has eloped with Rick. The party is once again interrupted, as Ben and Horace go after the train with which Rick and Candy are traveling.

Ben and Horace manage to stop the train by starting a fire on the tracks. The discover Candy and Rick together, arguing as Candy tries to take back the stolen money. Ben knocks Rick unconscious, and the three leave Rick to return home with the money. They manage to get them back before word gets out that the Major was swindled.

Production

The working titles of Isnt It Romantic? were "Fathers Day" and "Its Always Spring". In a pre-production Paramount News release William Russell was announced as the director.

Reception

In his review for The New York Times, film critic Bosley Crowther was merciless. "A formless and rambling musical, which looks as though it were made with at least a half dozen previous musical successes in mind, is Paramounts "Isnt It Romantic?" which came to the Paramount Theatre yesterday. The funny thing is it bears no likeness to a musical success itself."

Isnt It Romantic? is notable for receiving the shortest review ever given to a motion picture, according to Guinness World Records, well-known critic Leonard Maltin simply replied "No" as a response to the films title.