Powell and Keeler had starred together five times before COLLEEN, and it's a shame they had to go out with this comparatively weak effort. Herbert, a nutty millionaire, falls in love with blowsy Blondell, a factory worker, and puts her in charge of a fancy dress salon he's bought for her.
Meanwhile, Blondell's real boy friend, Oakie, promises to marry her as soon as Herbert adopts the blonde as his daughter. Herbert has other ideas, however, and Powell, Herbert's nephew, can see that the dotty old fellow is being taken but good by Blondell and Oakie. Powell convinces Herbert to
close the shop, despite the good work being done there by Keeler, who is running the millinery operations. Herbert pays off Oakie and Blondell, then sends lawyer Richards to offer Keeler $10,000 to renounce any marriage promises made by Powell--with whom she is head over tap shoes in love (for the
sixth movie). Keeler signs the "release" but refuses the money, and instead accepts Keane's earlier offer to run the dress shop on a ship, not knowing that Powell and Herbert are on the same Europe-bound vessel. Powell and Keeler meet, fall in love again, and wind up holding hands and singing to
each other. Harry Warren and Al Dubin didn't turn out any hits for this film, but the songs are pleasant enough and Keeler gets a chance to do two dance routines with Paul Draper, who was a sort of minor Fred Astaire. A typical 1930s musical: pleasant, inoffensive, toe-tapping, and funny at times.
Songs: "Don't Have to Dream Again," "You've Gotta Know How to Dance," "An Evening with You," "A Boulevardier from the Bronx" (Dubin, Warren).
