This cute farce features Curtis as a Columbia University professor caught by his wife (Leigh) when he kisses a pretty student. Enraged at this dalliance, Leigh packs her bags and prepares to fly to Reno for a quickie divorce. Curtis, in sheer desperation, turns to his old pal Martin, a
television writer, for some help. Martin concocts a wild story about Curtis being an undercover man for the FBI, and kissing this girl was part of a secret operation. Leigh falls for the story, then follows Curtis and Martin when they go to a Chinese restaurant with a pair of daffy blondes. Leigh
surmises the two girls are also suspected spies, and tries to pass Curtis a blank gun he left at their apartment. This sets off a mini-riot that involves actual FBI agents and a television news crew that captures the action for that evening's news. Some genuine Russian spies come to believe Curtis
really is an agent involved in a sensitive project being conducted at the university. Curtis, along with Leigh and Martin, is grabbed by the Soviets and taken to an underground room below the Empire State Building. There Curtis is given truth serum and admits his deceit. Leigh is furious with her
husband and manages to escape the spies' clutches. Curtis and Martin finally wake up, believing they are captive in an enemy submarine. The two patriotically decide to sink the ship, opening up the basement water valves. As the water pours in, Martin and Curtis bravely sing "The Star Spangled
Banner," convinced they are about to die for their country. Some FBI men arrive to save the water-logged duo, as Leigh ultimately forgives Curtis for his errant ways.
Though the premise is stretched a little too thin, this is an enjoyable comedy. Curtis and Leigh make good use of their well-known off-screen marriage, playing up the husband and wife roles for some fun moments. Martin, playing his affable drunk character, also gives a good comic performance and
sings the movie's title song. Overall WHO WAS THAT LADY? is nothing but a plesant diversion. The three costars engaged in an on-set battle of sorts, involving water pistols fired at each other. For the climactic flood scene, Leigh decided to carry the joke one step further, employing director
Sidney's help. After Curtis and Martin were finished with the scene, Sidney gave Leigh a signal and kept the cameras rolling. The actress allowed herself to be caught in the stream of water and swam by her costars, nonchalantly waving at them (Janet Leigh, There Really Was a Hollywood). Making a
small appearance as a tattoo artist is former Mack Sennett clown, Snub Pollard. leave a comment
