Marlene Dietrich made a few comedies in her career, and she was very cute in them. Instead of the conceited, sultry seductress, she's sweet, misguided, and silly. It's very refreshing. If you like her change of pace, check out The Lady Is Willing or The Flame of New Orleans.
In this one, she plays a successful (and very ignorant) stage actress. She's on the street one day when someone says, "Hold this a minute," and hands her a bundled up baby. When no one returns, she claims the baby as her own and returns to her penthouse apartment. Her manager, maid, and assistant (Stanley Ridges, Marietta Canty, and Aline MacMahon) are horrified and try to get her to return the baby or at least turn it over to the police, but she refuses. Instead, she names it Joan and calls for an obstetrician to look it over and make sure it's in perfect health.
Dr. Fred MacMurray soon finds out she's a phony. She didn't know what type of doctor to summon, she doesn't know how old "her" baby is, and she's given it the wrong gender. Joan quickly turns into Corey, but that's not the end of the line. Marlene has to figure out how to keep the baby, and how to hook a sucker into marrying her so she can cut to the front of the line at the adoption agency!
In his stammering insecurity, it's easy to imagine James Stewart in the lead role. But I'm happy with Fred; he's utterly charming in this movie. Don't expect anything very realistic in this movie, but it's cute for an afternoon of fluffy escapism. If you like this one, try Bachelor Mother or Casanova Brown.
