Theodora Goes Wild (1936)

A shy, young woman (Irene Dunne) lives with her domineering, prudish aunts (Elisabeth Risdon and Margaret McWade) in a small town and can only let loose by secretly writing outrageous novels and publishing them using a pseudonym.

She goes to the big city to discuss business with her publisher (Thurston Hall) and meets a handsome, young artist (Melvyn Douglas) who brings out her wild, previously hidden, side on a night out with the publisher and his wife.

Before things get too far out of hand with him, she leaves his apartment and goes back home only to find he has pursued her.

Afraid that he will reveal her secret she asks him to leave, but he blackmails her into hiring him as her live-in gardener much to her aunts’ disapproval who can’t understand why she’d do such a scandalous thing.

After nearly forcing her out of her cocoon and having her fall in love with him he leaves town leaving only a note.

Now, it’s her turn to chase him… Except he’s got his own secrets.

It’s obvious this need only be a two-part story: He chases her, then she chases him.

End of story.

But there are further complications which delay the inevitable conclusion leaving the movie feeling just a bit overlong.

A little tightening up would help things tremendously.

Other than that, this is a fine little Screwball Comedy which might have benefited from being released in the Pre-Code era.

There is a racy undercurrent bubbling under the surface (with a single woman going into a bachelor’s apartment unaccompanied, intimations of adultery, etc.) which is never really allowed to come out.