Released – November, 1942 

Directed By - Preston Sturges

Starring – Claudette Colbert (Geraldine ‘Gerry’ Jeffers), Joel McCrea (Tom Jeffers), Mary Astor (Princess Centimillia), Rudy Vallee (John D. Hackensacker III).

Description – A fast-paced screwball comedy about a married couple down on their financial luck. Tom Jeffers is an inventor with, what he believes is, a great idea. It’s Tom’s plan to build an airport suspended over the city by wires.

Tom’s wife Gerry has a solution to help finance this grand plan; divorce Tom and marry a millionaire.

On a train to Palm Beach, Gerry meets the wacky and eccentric John D. Hackensacker III one of the richest men in the world. After learning of his wife’s plan, Tom also heads to Florida in the hope of saving his marriage.

When he arrives, Gerry still intent on completing her plan, introduces Tom as her brother. Things start to get a little crazy when Hackensacker falls for Gerry, his man-hungry sister Princess Centimillia chases after Tom, and her former suiter still desires the Princess.

But, is everyone who they say they are? It turns out Gerry is a twin and so is Tom. So who is really married to who?

NOTABLE: Don’t miss the opening sequence where Claudette Colbert is seen tied up in a closet and one minute later in a wedding dress.

The Palm Beach Story was singer Rudy Vallee’s first comedic role. He did such a good job that Paramount offered him a film contract.

This film is #77 on AFI’s list of 100 Films…100 Laughs.

The motion pictures original title was to be Is Marriage Necessary? However, this title caused some problems with the Production Code.

The Palm Beach Story

Preston Sturges – The Filmmaker Collection (Sullivan’s Travels/The Lady Eve/The Palm Beach Story/Hail the Conquering Hero/The Great McGinty/Christmas in July/The Great Moment)

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Released - November, 1942 

Directed By - David Butler

Starring – Bing Crosby (Jeff Peters), Bob Hope (Orville ‘Turkey’ Jackson), Dorothy Lamour (Princess Shalmar), Anthony Quinn (Mullay Kasim).

Description – The third of the famed ‘Road to…’ movies to star Crosby, Hope, and Lamour has the boys cast away on a desert shore where Bing sells Bob into slavery, and both competing for the hand of a beautiful princess.

However, there is a third suiter for the hand of the princess; the dangerous desert chieftain Mullay Kasim.

How bad can being a slave to Dorothy Lamour be? Especially, after she immediately offers to become his wife? If this sounds too good to be true, it is. The reason for the marriage offer is a prophet’s prediction that the first husband of the princess will be killed within a few days of the marriage.

So, hitch yourself a ride on a camel and join the boys for a Moroccan adventure.

NOTABLE: In 1996 this motion picture was added to the National Film Registry in the Library of Congress.

The film received two Oscar nominations; Best Sound, Recording, and Best Writing, Original Screenplay.

The scene where a camel spits in Bob Hope’s face was the camel’s own doing with Bing Crosby’s  reaction proving to be so funny it was left in the picture.

In 2006, Premiere voted The Road to Morocco as one of “The 50 Greatest Comedies of All Time.”

Personal Note: Another of the very entertaining Road pictures and possibly the best of the bunch. 

Road to Morocco

Bob Hope Tribute Collection – The Road Show Series (The Road to Morocco / The Road to Singapore / The Road to Utopia / The Road to Zanzibar)

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Released – November, 1942 

Directed By - Erle C. Kenton

Starring – Bud Abbott (Chick Larkin), Lou Costello (Mervin Q. Milgrim), Patric Knowles (Jimmy Turner), William Gargan (Lt. Lou Moran), Louise Allbritton (Jane Little), William Bendix (Det. Brannigan).

Description – Chick and Mervin are two soda jerks who dream of becoming writers for their favorite mystery radio show. While attending a show with one of the writers and a producer the networks president is mysteriously electrocuted.

Could this tragic occurance provide an opportunity? Believing that it just might, Chick and Mervin pretend to be detectives and attempt to solve the crime.

Two big problems with their thinking. First, Moran and Brannigan are two real detectives who consider the boys fakes and think they are the prime suspects; and second, the real killers who believe the boys are detectives and wish to add them to a growing list of bodies.

How does an eavesdropping Nazi spy fit in? You’ll have to watch to find out.

NOTABLE: This popular Abbott & Costello film includes two references to their famous “Who’s On First” routine.

Following the production of this flm Abbott & Costello began a successful cross-country tour promoting the sale of War Bonds.

This was the first Abbott & Costello film to not include musical numbers.

This film is included in The Best of Abbott & Costello Vol. 1 

The Best of Abbott & Costello, Vol. 1 (Buck Privates / Hold That Ghost / In the Navy / Keep ‘Em Flying / One Night in the Tropics / Pardon My Sarong / Ride ‘Em Cowboy / Who Done It?)

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Released – September, 1942 

Directed By - Billy Wilder

Starring – Ginger Rogers (Susan Kathleen), Ray Milland (Major Philip Kirby), Rita Johnson (Pamela Hill), Diana Lynn (Lucy Hill), Robert Benchley (Albert Osborne).

Description – With no luck finding steady work in New York, Susan Kathleen wants to return home to Iowa. One problem, no money for the full train fare. Solution, pretending to be a 12 year old child in order to travel at half-fare.

What seemed like a good idea leads only to trouble after a train conductor catches her smoking. In an effort to avoid being thrown off the train, Susan hides in the compartment of Major Philip Kirby.

When the train is delayed due to flooding the Major’s fiancee and her father, the commanding officer at the military academy where Major Kirby is assigned, come to pick him up only to find Susan sleeping in a berth in the Major’s compartment.

Jealously is now the order of the day, and to make things worse Susan is becoming more and more attracted to the Major who still believes her to be 12 years old.

NOTABLE: This film was the U.S. directorial debut for Billy Wilder.

Near the end of the film we meet Susan’s mother who just happens to be Lela E. Rogers the real life mother of Ginger Rogers.

Actor Ray Milland got the part in this film in an unusual way. Director Wilder, while driving home from the studio one evening, stopped at a traffic light alongside a car driven by Milland. Wilder told Milland he was doing a picture, and asked if he would like to be in it.

The Major and the Minor (Universal Cinema Classics)

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Released – August, 1942 

Directed By - Erle C. Kenton

Starring - Bud Abbott (Algernon ‘Algy’ Shaw), Lou Costello (Wellington ‘Moola’ Pflug), Virginia Bruce (Joan Marshall), Robert Paige (Tommy Layton).

Description – Wealthy bachelor Tommy Layton rents a bus for a trip from Chicago to Los Angeles in order to participate in a yacht race. His drivers Abbott and Costello insure that this is no ordinary bus ride and no ordinary yacht race.

The bus company, not knowing the details of this trip, suspect that the bus has been stolen and our boys find themselves being chased by a detective. To escape, they drive the bus off a pier and are rescued by Layton’s yacht where he hires them on a part of his crew.

A hurricane forces the yacht to an uncharted island inhabited by a mysterious scientist. Add jewel thieves and a volcano then sit back and enjoy this early Abbott and Costello classic.

NOTABLE: This was Universal’s top grossing film for 1942.

The pairing of Abbott and Costello on the big screen was an attempt to duplicate the success that Paramount Pictures had with the Bob Hope and Bing Crosby road movies.

Included in The Best of Abbott & Costello Vol. 1

The Best of Abbott & Costello, Vol. 1 (Buck Privates / Hold That Ghost / In the Navy / Keep ‘Em Flying / One Night in the Tropics / Pardon My Sarong / Ride ‘Em Cowboy / Who Done It?)

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Released – April, 1942 

Directed By - Lloyd Bacon

Starring – Edward G. Robinson (J. Chalmers ‘Pressure’ Maxwell), Jane Wyman (Denny Costello), Broderick Crawford (Jug Martin), Jack Carson (Jeff Randolph), Anthony Quinn (Leo Dexter).

Description – ‘Pressure’ Maxwell is about to be released from prison and hopes to go straight. So straight, in fact, that he has just turned down an offer to rob a bank from fellow inmate Leo Dexter.

Maxwell’s plan is to purchase a Florida dog racing track and live a legitimate life with his adopted daughter Denny. However, there is one big problem…no money. Maybe the bank job isn’t such a bad idea afterall.

Maxwell buys a small luggage shop adjacent to the bank with the idea of breaking through the common wall into the banks vault. However, the luggage shop turns into a big success and any idea of a bank robbery is soon abandoned.

Happy ending? Not so fast. Convict Leo Dexter has heard about Maxwell stealing his idea for the robbery and has escaped prison with a plan to force Maxwell to aid with the theft.

NOTABLE: Edward G. Robinson took this role to ’soften’ his public image after having played so many gangster and tough guy roles.

Comedian Jackie Gleason played a cameo role in the film as a soda jerk.

Included in the Warner Gangster Collection Vol. 4

Warner Gangsters Collection, Vol. 4 (The Amazing Dr. Clitterhouse / Invisible Stripes / Kid Galahad / Larceny, Inc. / The Little Giant / Public Enemies: The Golden Age of the Gangster Film)

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Released – March, 1942 

Directed By - Ernst Lubitsch

Starring – Carole Lombard (Maria Tura), Jack Benny (Joseph Tura), Robert Stack (Lt. Stanislav Sobinski), Felix Bressart (Greenberg), Lionel Atwill (Rawitch).

Description – The efforts of a Polish soldier to track down a Nazi spy are aided (sort of) by a troupe of ham stage actors who use their skill at disguise to fool the occupying troops in Poland.

The Nazi spy has information that would hurt the Polish resistance and this information must not make it into German hands.

Enjoy this comedic exercise in espionage which caused considerable controversy when released.

NOTABLE: In 1996 this film was chosen for the National Film Registry by the Library of Congress.

This motion picture received one Oscar nomination for Best Music, Scoring of a Dramatic or comedy picture.

Director Lubitsch never considered another actor for the role of Joseph Tura beside Jack Benny and had developed the character with Benny in mind.

Although Director Lubitsch was heavily critisized, and his career hurt  for this satire about Nazi’s, this film is now regarded as one of his best.

Sadly, actress Carole Lombard was killed in a plane crash during post-production of the film. She had been returning from a tour selling war bonds.

In 2006 Premiere voted this film as one of “The 50 Greatest Comedies of All Time.” 

To Be or Not to Be

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