with all the talented people involve in this production and i do not know how it could have go so terribly wrong . but it do . there be many ludicrous aspect to the plot and and other reviewer be right in say that the pacing be very choppy and with no clear indication of how much time have elapse between event . i be irritate by the story and which be incredibly contrive and melodramatic . first and there no real reason for sylvia to start dress like a boy oh sure and the authority will be less likely to spot her father if he travel with a son . riiight . but doesn not the old man have to provide identification when he cross the border . wouldn not they detain him then anyway . and wouldn not it make more sense for him to change his appearance or identity . sylvia sacrifice much in order to protect and help her father and include give him the money her dead mother leave her not that he really appreciate the gesture just take it and resume order her around . this guy be so unlikable and weak . he let his kid take care of him and doesn not do a damn thing for her . throughout the film we see him make bad decision and and never really take responsibility and then the final cop out ( which i would not reveal ) . somehow be mean to sympathize ( since sylvia do ) and but it impossible to feel sorry for a silly fool grand gesture over a cheap floozy who not attractive or interesting enough to inspire such passion in the first place . it incomprehensible . sylvia character development also suffers and a it difficult to understand why she love her father so much when he never care about her welfare . i guess be suppose to accept the simplistic declaration that her character be good and pure of heart . the true motivation of other character and like monkley ( cary grant ) and be also fuzzy and unexplained . can the act rise above such bad writing . not really . edmund gwenn be fine a the father and but no fun to watch . cary grant do a good job ( with little screen time and a role that shallow and a write ) play a shady cockney thief very different from his typical cultured sophisticate role . but i do not think katharine hepburn do very well with her dual role . honestly and she do not seem terribly convince a a girl and or a a boy . a the latter and she whoop and holler and run around and but to me and this make her seem like a hyperactive child ( of either sex ) and rather than specifically male . ditto at the start of the film when she still a girl she more demure and softspoken and but the high pitch of her voice mostly succeed in convey youth and moreso than gender . hepburn physical acting be also rather superficial dainty step a a female ( almost a parody of a girl movement ) and and gallop leap a a male . there no subtlety . when i hear that a movie flop at the box office and like sylvia scarlett do and i want to support it and because i naturally root for the underdog ( and besides and so many crappy movie be box office hit ) . i also think this film might be ahead of it time and have something smart to say about gender role . well and i find myself disappointed . sylvia scarlett be not an underrated gem . sometimes and a flop be just a flop . and some film be good off forgotten .