The Goose and the Gander: A chaotic mess of doors and secrets

Is it worth your time?

Honestly? Maybe not, unless you have a strange itch for 1930s screwball comedies that forgot to include the actual jokes. You’ll probably like it if you find people screaming in hallways funny. If you prefer your movies to have, you know, logic, you’re going to hate this.

The whole thing is basically a giant headache disguised as a plot. Everyone is yelling. Nobody is listening. There is a scene about thirty minutes in where they just keep walking in and out of the same room, and I swear the camera operator looked bored.

George Brent is doing his best here, but he mostly looks like he’s trying to remember if he left the stove on at home. It’s a very specific kind of frantic energy, like a squirrel trapped in a closet.

Kay Francis shows up and brings a bit of class to the room, but the script gives her absolutely nothing to do but look worried. It’s a shame. She deserved better than this nonsense.

Odd little observations:

• That one maid character seems to be in every single scene, just standing there holding a tray. I don't think she says a word for ten minutes.
• The lighting in the bedroom sequence is so bright it’s actually distracting. Did they run out of shades?
• I’m pretty sure I’ve seen this exact same set used in Little Caesar, or maybe I’m just going crazy.
• There is a moment where a hat falls off a table and nobody picks it up for the rest of the scene. It just stays there. It bothered me way more than it should have.

The movie gets slightly better when it stops trying to be clever. When the characters just stop talking and start running around, it actually finds a rhythm. It’s not good, but it’s active.

It’s not as punchy as some of the other stuff from this era. Sometimes it feels like they’re just reading the lines off a cue card held slightly out of reach. Rough.

Anyway, don't overthink it. It’s a B-movie through and through. Watch it while you’re doing laundry or something. Don't dedicate a whole evening to this one. You’ve got better things to do, like watching literally anything else. 🤷‍♂️