But their reunion will have to wait: John has returned with English war bride Lilly Herbish (Virginia Field) in tow.

The plan is complicated by the unexpected arrival of Mary's parents, Senator James McKinley (Edward Arnold) and his wife Phyllis (Katharine Alexander).

Fred pays off their former lieutenant, Victor O'Leary (Wayne Morris), to don his old uniform and pretend to order John to go to Reno on some Army business.

The next day, Mary is so distraught at the thought of delaying the wedding that she insists her father use his political connections to get John out of his assignment.

The play received good reviews — Logan said "Krasna had written and constructed a brilliant piece of machinery; I had simply staged it.

"[8] Bosley Crowther of The New York Times wrote a negative review of the film, finding that it "does not have the natural spontaneity nor the artificial smoothness of the play.

"[9] Variety, however, called it "a punchy laugh-getter ... Pacing of David Butler's direction is very sharp, whipping the laughs together in rapid-fire order as the visual and verbal gags are brought on.