Up in Mabel's Room

Gail Patrick is just delightful as Mabel, who sets this story rolling when she calls up old friend Dennis O'Keefe and tells him she has a "souvenir" she's going to bring over. O'Keefe is preparing to celebrate his 30-day wedding anniversary with lovey-dovey wife Marjorie Reynolds, so he tells her instead to "take it to the office."

We quickly learn that Mabel's souvenir is an embarrassing garment that O'Keefe once gave her, embroidered with name and all; and that while he is eager to retrieve said gift, O'Keefe is too dumb just to explain the whole thing to his wife and instead resorts to secrecy—which, of course, backfires.

O'Keefe is funny as the flustered husband whose various stratagems involve a good deal of climbing through windows and hiding under beds. Reynolds' character is awfully silly but sweet enough. Their relationship features a fair number of emotional cloudbursts (Reynolds: "I hope you're happy—ruining the best years of my life!" O'Keefe: "We've only been married 30 days!") but is never really in doubt.

Most of the action takes place at a country house where our main characters spend the weekend with a colorful group of friends and relatives. The great cast includes Mischa Auer as a servant whom O'Keefe enlists to help him search Mabel's room; Lee Bowman as O'Keefe's business partner who is also Mabel's fiancé; and Charlotte Greenwood as the wickedly clever hostess.

Binnie Barnes is hilarious as a house guest who at one point picks up what she thinks is a secret about O'Keefe. "I can't tell you, I gave my word of honor," she tells Greenwood and Patrick. "But…if you'll give me your word of honor, I'll tell you."

Gail Patrick's Mabel is clearly the sharpest character here and it's great fun watching her amusement (and sometimes exasperation) as all those around her generally make fools of themselves. And it's nice to see Patrick—who frequently got stuck playing the snooty "other woman"—come out looking good for once.