Academy Awards, USA 1947
| Nominated Oscar | Best Art Direction-Interior Decoration, Black-and-White Hans Dreier Walter H. Tyler Sam Comer Ray Moyer |
Paramount Pictures
Directed by Mitchell Leisen
My rating: 2.5 stars out of 4
IMDb
(YouTube)
An orphan in the London slums is caught stealing the shoes of the famous painter Thomas Gainsborough. He recognizes her natural beauty, cleans her up and paints her portrait. Socialite Ray Milland sees the opportunity to advance his own career by setting her up with a wealthy Duke, little realizing she is really in love with him. She marries a wealthy neighbor instead to bail him out of jail when he is arrested for gambling debts. When her husband dies unexpectedly, she inherits his wealth, but is also pregnant. So she marries the Duke and passes off the child as his own. He dies, she becomes even more wealthy, but still can't get his attention of Milland. She decides to marry his best friend to spite him, which finally sets him straight. Paulette Goddard is perfect as the rags to riches guttersnipe, injecting both warmth and humor to her character. Her performance alone overcomes the melodramatics and contrived ending.
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