Repent at Leisure

"Repent at Leisure" (1941) is about as logical a title for this little 66-minute B-grade film as the sequence of events depicted in it flow from plausible logic. However, that's not to say the film isn't enjoyable, because it actually is, up to a point. And that point is the drawn-out final scene, which to me was as much without merit as it was without defensible premise. It just isn't good when the final scene leaves one heading for the exit in a disagreeable state of mind.

But the movie is light and airy and pretty much a feel-good flick in general, with the department store owner (George Barbier) and his daughter (Wendy Barrie) involved in a series of comical concealed and mistaken identity concerns. How things came to this compounding familial difficulty requires the viewer to take a few leaps of faith along the way, which is acceptable because there is some fun to be had here. Kent Taylor as the leading man chosen by Wendy really has nothing going for him in the way of charisma, and it is hard to see why we should find him appealing, let alone Wendy. It is obvious this film was very cheaply done but does pass along some enjoyable moments, but please... just don't expect too much from it.