Writer Norman Krasna said that he based his story on his personal experience as an employee at Macy’s while he was a student.
The tale concerns the millionaire owner of a department store (played by Charles Coburn), who goes incognito as a sales clerk to find out the source of the unrest and dissatisfaction among his employees.
The simplistic story is helped by two romances, the first between Jean Arthur (Miss Jones) and Robert Cuummings, and the second between Coburn and Spring Byington.
The direction by Sam Wood, who is humorless, leaves much to be desired, but the supporting cast offers some compensation with such accomplished thespians as
Edmund Gwenn, S. Z. Sakall, and William Demerest.
Oscar Nominations: 2
Supporting Actor: Charles Coburn
Original Screenplay: Norman Krasna
Oscar Context:
The winner of the Best Supporting Actor was Donald Crisp for “How Green Was My Valley.”
Orson Welles and Herman J. Mankiewicz won the Best Original Screenplay Oscar for “Citizen Kane.”