Plot: Terry (Pat O’Brien) is a telephone repair man and he is always out on one service job or another with colleague Johnny (Allen Jenkins), with Terry often in trouble for one reason or another. He tends to become distracted when a beautiful woman is around and his eyes aren’t the only things that wander, which has landed him in hot water with his boss more than once. The phone lines are used for all kinds of purposes, some business and others quite personal, which means Terry and Johnny have no shortage of situations to look into and resolve. The two even stumble upon a phony psychic using the lines to stage fake seances! When Terry meets Marie (Joan Blondell), he falls head over heels, but she resists his wiles and it drives him crazy. As he tries to pull out every trick in his arsenal, including ruining a homemade dinner, can he convinced Marie to give him a chance or will she give him the cold shoulder?

Entertainment Value: This one won’t likely go down as an all time classic, but I was entertained by You’ve Got My Number, a brisk melodrama that has a good cast and some pre-code spice. The narrative is passable, but a little convoluted and while Pat O’Brien has good screen presence, his character is not exactly likable and that causes some of the charm to be lost. His rear end slapping Terry is a real sight for the pre-code era, but as a lead character I don’t think he resonates well, which undermines the romance with the always irresistible Joan Blondell. The two have great chemistry, but it is hard to root for Terry whatsoever, as he is such a lout to start with and the script doesn’t do a whole lot to redeem him. I still think the movie has some good laughs and fun performances, but it feels inconsistent and the pieces never fit together quite right, not to mention that Glenda Farrell is resigned to a glorified cameo. At under 70 minutes, You’ve Got My Number doesn’t ask for much of a commitment and it keeps a steady pace, powered by the cast more than the material. I’d recommend it to fans of Blondell and pre-code in general, but temper your expectations here.

I might not have loved the movie, but the presence of Joan Blondell all but assures that I was entertained. Even in small roles, Blondell is able to elevate movies with her charm and skilled banter, so with a prominent role like this one, she can do even more to carry a film over the finish line. I do wish the material gave her better character development, but even hampered somewhat by the script, Blondell delivers and proves to be the main draw here. I would rank her among the best of all time when it comes to sharp barbs and one liners, talents she showcases in You’ve Got My Number and in doing so, steals almost scene she appears in. As I mentioned before, she has good chemistry with Pat O’Brien, but I couldn’t invest in the romance angle, as his character just seemed unlikable to me if not outright detestable at times. Even so, Blondell and O’Brien have some fun moments, which given Blondell’s ever magical screen presence, is no surprise. Glenda Farrell is here as well, but her role is quite small and that’s a shame, as I am sure she could have brought so much more to the picture. The cast also includes Louise Beavers, Allen Jenkins, Henry O’Neill, and the wonderful Eugene Pallette.

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