The Lady Has Plans

The Lady Has Plans
The Lady Has Plans
Directed by	Sidney Lanfield
Screenplay by	Harry Tugend
Based on	a story; by Leo Birinski
Produced by	Fred Kohlmar
Starring	Ray Milland; Paulette Goddard; Roland Young;
Cinematography	Charles Lang
Edited by	William Shea
Music by	Leigh Harline; Leo Shuken;
Production; company	Paramount Pictures
Distributed by	Paramount Pictures
Release date	January 24, 1942 (US);
Running time	77 minutes
Country	United States
Language	English
Box office	$1,250,000 (US rentals)

The Lady Has Plans is a 1942 American comedy film spy thriller film directed by Sidney Lanfield and starring Ray Milland, Paulette Goddard and Roland Young. It was produced ad distributed by Paramount Pictures as a World War II espionage film set in neutral Portugal.

Plot

A gang of criminals murder a scientist, steal plans for a "radio-controlled torpedo" and have them tattooed in invisible ink on the back of a woman named Rita, planning to sell them to the highest bidder. Paul Baker then murders the tattooer. Rita is to take the place of reporter Sidney Royce (Paulette Goddard) on an airplane bound for Lisbon. Baker has informed the British and the Nazis to contact "Sidney" there for the auction. Joe Scalsi is given the task of making sure that Sidney does not board the plane, but he is taken into custody by government agents. Rita witnesses this.

Meanwhile, the real Sidney Royce is being sent to Lisbon to work for the very demanding Kenneth Harper, who has fired the last four reporters. They were all men, so Mr. Weston decides to try sending a woman instead.

Cast

Ray Milland as Kenneth Clarence Harper
Paulette Goddard as Sidney Royce
Roland Young as Ronald Dean
Albert Dekker as Baron Von Kemp
Margaret Hayes as Rita Lenox
Cecil Kellaway as Peter Miles
Addison Richards as Paul Baker
Edward Norris as Frank Richards
Charles Arnt as Pooly
Hans Schumm as 1st German
Hans von Morhart as 2nd German
Genia Nikolaieva as German Maid
Gerald Mohr as Joe Scalsi
Lionel Royce as Guard

Reception

Bosley Crowther panned the film in his New York Times review, calling it a "silly fable, without rhyme or reason" and a "thoroughly implausible tale".^[2]

Adaptations

The Lady Has Plans was adapted for The Lux Radio Theatre, with William Powell and Rita Hayworth replacing Milland and Goddard in the title roles. It was aired on April 26, 1943.^[3]