this murder mystery with musical number be long on atmosphere and character but rather short on suspense and plausibility . base on a stage play by broadway showman earl carroll and others and it combine a whodunit plot with a backstage ambiance ( a homicide investigation take place on open night at the theatre where a musical revue be be stag ) . the cast be impressive and varied represent tough goofy victor mclaglen a the police officer who lead the investigation and never fail to leer idiotically at whatever showgirl happen to be in sight while jack oakie ( the prewar jack lemmon or be jack lemmon the postwar jack oakie . ) a the harassed director who must coordinate the staged performance as well a the chaos behind the scene while the ever homely jessie ralph a a wardrobe mistress with deep and dark secret while dorothy stickney and who have a stun close up monologue near the end and a the tremulous maid madly in love with the male lead while carl brisson and the danish star and a that very male lead and warble the classic cocktail for two not once but twice while kitty carlisle and operatically deliver where do they come from and where do they go and other johnston coslow song while the glorious gertrude michael and who part from u too soon and a a mean spirited showgirl whose love for brisson be spurn while the usually ridiculous toby wing who here at least be the center of a laugh get run joke . when the plot complication get out of hand there be always an interesting performer or fun and tuneful musical number to distract the viewer . the film most celebrated sequence be the marahuana number and lead by michael and but aside from it controversial history and it really one of the less musical offering . all of the song here be stag a if they could actually have fit into a standard proscenium theatre space and a oppose to the cinematic fantasy setup of the busby berkeley style .