With a war on and most men being drafted, Howard Oil Supply Company has no salesmen left. So daughter Jean hits the road and does not make one sale. She finally gets one tentative sale with the Black Hills Oil Co., but Earl wants dinner with her. With the shortage of housing due to the war, Jean needs a military husband to get a place to stay in Clayfield, which is next to Camp Clay. She gets Lt. Mallory to act as her husband just to register. Then things go wrong as his commanding officer is there and believes them to be married. It gets worse as Don's mother shows up and then Jean's father.
Acting
Ida Lupino's rapid-fire desperation is physical comedy gold
Direction
Vincent Sherman keeps plates spinning at screwball velocity
Writing
Premise stacks lies like Jenga—every scene adds tension
Director
Vincent Sherman
Ida Lupino
Jean Howard
Sydney Greenstreet
Colonel Michael Otley
William Prince
Lieutenant Don Mallory
Stuart Erwin
Captain Jack Ross
Johnny Mitchell
Earl 'Slim' Clark
Ruth Donnelly
Mrs. Grace Wingate
Barbara Brown
Mrs. Kate Otley
Frank Orth
Clayfield Taxi Driver
Regina Wallace
Mrs. Mallory, Don's Mother
Willie Best
Lucille, Colonial Auto Court Porter
Louis Armstrong
Orchestra Leader
Robert Blake
Wilbur (uncredited)
Joyce Compton
Gertrude Wilson (uncredited)
William Conrad
First Motorcycle Cop (uncredited)
Dorothy Dandridge
Herself - Vocalist (uncredited)
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
Rare wartime comedy where women step into 'male' jobs AND romantic agency—Jean drives, sells, proposes.
Ida Lupino, future groundbreaking director, spent the 1940s trapped in roles like this—watch her transcend the material.
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