Like many hopefuls, Ann Sheridan made her way to Los Angeles because of a beauty pageant - in this case, the Paramount studio-sponsored "Search For Beauty" contest. Disappointed by how they handled her, though, the salty redhead jumped ship to Warner Brothers, who quickly christened her "The Oomph Girl" (a sobriquet she claimed to never understand) and put her to work in movies like this one, a raucous comedy set around a firehouse. Even though Red Tyler (Dick Foran) wants to be a firefighter, he can't win the approval of the crusty captain (Robert Armstrong) - and falling for the boss's manicurist sister Marjorie (Sheridan) isn't helping his case. Sheridan made another indelible performance as nobody's doormat, a role she played in art and life - after making many more movies with Warner Brothers, she went on (unsuccessful) strike in 1941 after being dissatisfied with her paycheck.

By Violet LeVoit