“A zany, agreeable, and well-written comedy-satire of murder mysteries in the Thin Man mold” (Matthew Kennedy), There's Always a Woman showcases Blondell's snappy comic timing and tireless physical verve. She plays wife, secretary, and sparring partner to Melvyn Douglas, whose conviction that he's the smartest detective in town appears not to be shared by any clients. When socialite Mary Astor glides into Douglas's office, Blondell spontaneously launches an investigative career of her own, unbeknownst to her husband. The self-made sleuth endures disparagement and danger with cheery equilibrium, out-nerving criminals and thuggish cops; finding herself on the wrong side of the law, she smiles and blithely files her nails. (“Unless I can use a hose on her, I give up,” says one of her exasperated interrogators.) Viewers were evidently impressed; during the film's run, an audience poll named Blondell “Public Gold Digger #1.”
—Juliet Clark