June (Anne Shirley), a bright teenager with overly romantic ideas, jumps to the conclusion that novelist Valerie (Margot Grahame) is in love with June's publisher father Chris (Herbert Marshall). So she conspires to get the two together, not knowing that Valerie is in love with another man and Chris is in love with June's teacher Eleanor (Gertrude Michael).
I just love Anne Shirley. She's one of my favorite actresses from the '30s and a very underrated comedienne. It's a shame she never broke through to become a major star. Aside from being exceptionally pretty, she's also charming and adorable in every movie I've seen her in. "Make Way for a Lady" is a fine example of her talent. Herbert Marshall is his usual dignified self but gets to let loose some, which is nice. I can count on one hand the number of movies I've seen him smile. Margot Grahame and Gertrude Michael are both a little on the forgettable side. Frank Coghlan, Jr. (Billy Batson from the Captain Marvel serial) has an amusing supporting part.
Unfortunately, it does lose steam after a strong start. There are two primary reasons for this. First, whenever Shirley's not on screen things are dullsville. Also, in the second half the movie becomes more serious in tone and a little too much like a soaper versus the light romantic comedy feel of the first half. Still, it's an enjoyable B picture from RKO, helped by a short runtime. See it for Anne Shirley, a fine actress who deserves wider recognition.
