Public Deb No. 1

(USA, 1940)

Comedy, 79 min, b/w

Directed by: Gregory Ratoff

Cast: George Murphy, Brenda Joyce, Ralph Bellamy, Elsa Maxwell

Joyce plays a young socialite who is constantly a newspaper item because of her glamorous doings. Her youthful zeal gets her involved with a Communist rally. This makes the headlines and brings a public spanking from a waiter (Murphy). The girl's uncle (Ruggles), a soup tycoon, is pleased with this turn of events and offers Murphy a job as company vice-president. Murphy proves to be a company asset and manages to wrest Joyce from her scandalous behavior. The plot is fairly insipid with a script to match. The Communists are portrayed as buffoons - the only really interesting part of the film. Otherwise it is flat and humorless with a slow pacing that kills any hope of comedy. Joyce's switch from communism to an elopement with Murphy is no surprise at all. Murphy is probably the best thing in the picture. Of course the actor later went on to do his part against communism in his real life role of U.S. senator from California.

George Murphy puts Brenda Joyce across his knee in a cafe and gives her backside a long, sound, public spanking.

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