Paulette Goddard is "Kitty" in this delightful 1945 film directed by Mitchell Liesen for Paramount. The film also stars Ray Milland, Constance Collier, Cecil Kellaway, Patric Knowles, and Reginald Owen. Goddard plays a young guttersnipe who steals for a living. As she's trying to steal the gold buckle off of a footman's shoe, she is noticed by none other than Thomas Gainsborough, who cleans her up and paints her. She comes to the attention of Sir Hugh Marcy (Milland) but when he finds out she's a guttersnipe, he loses interest.Once her beautiful portrait is on display, the Duke of Malmuster buys the portrait and prevails upon Sir Hugh for an introduction to the subject. Since Sir Hugh is flat broke, he and his tipsy aunt (Collier) try to turn Kitty into a lady so they can introduce her to the Duke, who is in a position to get Hugh his job back. Things, however, take a turn. Not only does Kitty have other plans, but fate steps in.A very good movie, inspired by Shaw's Pygmalion, that has a wonderful, lively performance by Goddard, who goes from Cockeny spitfire to lady and falls back on her Cockney roots when she loses her temper. Milland is good and not very likable as the conniving Sir Hugh, and Constance Collier is a riot as Aunt Susan. Handsome Patric Knowles is on hand as a friend of Sir Hugh's who, like a lot of other men, is captivated by Kitty.I was a little disappointed in the ending. I frankly would have liked to have seen Kitty go off into the sunset with someone else.I agree with one of the posters here that this would have been a beautiful film in color. But I'll take Goddard any way I can get her; she's always been a favorite of mine.

This is one of those films that you watch for a while because you know it has to get better. Surprise it just gets worse. Paulette Goddard, who did such a good job of acting in many films such as "Ghost Breakers," is at her worst in this film with the dumbest bad accent ever attempted. I cannot believe Ray Milland could keep a straight face. Ray is better in such films as "The Thing with Two Heads". At least one actor adds some class to the movie; Eric Blore who plays Jameson in most of the "Lone Wolf" movies.This is a period piece and you will recognize the story. Kitty (Paulette Goddard) is transformed from a street urchin to a… well you get the idea. Her journey begins with being discovered and getting her portrait painted as "Anonymous Lady" by Thomas Gainsborough (Cecil Callaway).

This movie is one of Paulette Goddard's best. It shows the versatility of her acting from comedic, to dramatic, to almost making herself a martyr for the man she truly loved. Ray Milland compliments her acting and comedic style. Everything sort of backfires in his face while trying to make things better for himself through Goddard's life experiences and conquests. It is a movie that capture's the feeling that Capra's movies did. Where the no good cad uses the girl as a means to an end and it completely goes wrong for him but right for her. But in the end he learns what really means the most to him. And the girl gets everything she set out to get except the man she loved. Money, clothes, servants, social standing and even a child. In the end she conquers the man and he wins the girl.

Mitchell Leisen was at the top of his form as a director in the mid-'40s and KITTY is a high point in his career, as it is for Paulette Goddard. This is the tale of a sharp-tongued guttersnipe (Goddard) who rises to become a Duchess in society thanks to the manipulations of the scheming Ray Milland and Constance Collier. It's a variation of the Pygmalion tale, a 'My Fair Lady' without music, sumptuously photographed in glorious B&W photography, although it's one of those costume films that would have looked even more ravishing in technicolor.As for any further comment on the film, here's what I wrote in a recent article on the career of PAULETTE GODDARD:"When Paramount failed to make a successful bid for 'Forever Amber', they decided to make their own costume drama about a poor wench from 18th century London who rises from guttersnipe to society woman. Paulette gives undoubtedly one of her best performances in a lavish period film that should have been in color. The N.Y. Times noted: 'Paulette Goddard has worked up blazing temperament to go with her ravishing beauty in the title role. If she is less fetching as a late 18th century duchess, it is because the script runs thin on humor and drama. In any case, she gives the work the correct touch of wry romanticism.'"