Twin Beds (1942 film)

Last updated

Twin Beds
TWIN BEDS 1942.jpg
Theatrical poster
Directed by Tim Whelan
Written byKenneth Earl
Curtis Kenyon
Eddie Moran
Based onPlay by
Salisbury Field
Margaret Mayo
Produced by Edward Small
Starring George Brent
Joan Bennett
Cinematography Hal Mohr
Edited by Francis D. Lyon
Grant Whytock
Music by Dimitri Tiomkin
Production
company
Edward Small Productions
Distributed by United Artists
Release date
  • April 30, 1942 (1942-04-30)
Running time
85 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish

Twin Beds is a 1942 American comedy film directed by Tim Whelan, and starring by George Brent and Joan Bennett. It was distributed by United Artists. The screenplay was written by Kenneth Earl, Curtis Kenyon and Eddie Moran, based on the play of the same name by Salisbury Field and Margaret Mayo.

Contents

Plot

Even as they walk down the aisle to be joined in holy matrimony, Julie and Mike Abbott argue about her extensive involvement in the USO. For starters, her obligations are in the way of their honeymoon trip.

After a short while of marriage, Mike is tired of Julie's constant working, not being able to spend much time with him at all. Also, the tabloids has a lot of theories about who is to pursue and catch her. On top of this, Julie is involved in arranging an engagement party for her ex-boyfriend, Larky, who is now going to marry her friend Lydia. The party prevents Mike and Julie from having the quiet dinner at home he had planned.

The party is a catastrophe for Mike, who is appalled by all the snobs attending, and jealous of all the men pursuing his wife during the evening. Among others, Nicolai Cherupin, a Russian opera tenor who lives next door, is very keen on socializing with Julie. His wife tells Mike he should watch out, and Mike eventually throws the man out of their apartment. Julie is upset and tells Mike she disapproves of his mistrust in her. In the heat of the moment Mike suggests they replace their double bed with twin beds. A while later the couple make up, but the sound of opera singing reaches them from outside.

Mike demands they move to another building to get rid of the persistent singer. He isn't aware that the singer's wife, Sonya also has decided they should move to a new place, jealous of her husband's shameless behavior. Lydia also wants to move, since she is worried Larky will fall back in love with Julie.

It turns out all three couples move to the same new building. Julie has arranged for twin beds, apparently listening to Mike's angry remark during the party. The singer is convinced that Julie has followed him to the new building because she is infatuated with him. He starts to sing to her, and subsequently Mike decides to leave Julie, believing that she has led the singer on.

Julie rejects the singer's attempt to meet her. He goes to a bar and gets plastered, and when he returns to the building, he is mistakenly let into Mike and Julie's apartment by the door man. The singer falls asleep in Mike's bed, where he is found the next morning by the very disturbed Julie.

Mike boards a train to Canada, but is persuaded by a fellow traveler to return and win Julie back. Upon his arrival back to the apartment, Julie is trying to get rid of the singer. When Julie sees Mike coming, she makes the singer hide in a trunk to avoid him being even more jealous.

The singer's clothes are mistaken for Mike's and the maid takes them to the cleaners. The singer tries to borrow and dress in Mike's clothes, but is constantly interrupted by visitors, forcing him to hide again. The maid eventually removes all clothes from the room and the singer is forced to escape by climbing out the window and down the fire escape.

The singer is caught climbing by Lydia, who believes he is a burglar trying to get in, and he has to flee back up into the apartment bedroom. Larky comes around, finds the singer and starts chasing him. The singer manages to trick Larky, steal his clothes and lock him into a room. Still in his underwear, the singer meets Sonya when she arrives to the apartment with a private investigator whom she has hired to follow her husband.

Larky is released from his prison and the singer is found hidden, in his underwear, in the trunk. Mike and Julie decide to move again, and after they make up they choose to return to their old apartment. [1]

Main cast

Production

The play had been filmed previously in 1920 and 1929. [2] In 1941 Edward Small announced plans to remake it. Dick Powell was mentioned as a possible male lead with Richard Murphy to direct but in the end George Brent was cast under Tim Whelan's director. [3] Filming started in September 1941.

It was the first of several farces based on old plays Small made during World War II.

Reception

Reviews were mixed. [4]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">George Brent</span> Irish-American actor

George Brent was an Irish-American stage, film, and television actor. He is best remembered for the eleven films he made with Bette Davis, which included Jezebel and Dark Victory.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mischa Auer</span> Russian-born American actor (1905–1967)

Mischa Auer (born Mikhail Semyonovich Unkovsky was a Russian-born American actor who moved to Hollywood in the late 1920s. He first appeared in film in 1928. Auer had a long career playing in many of the era's best known films. He was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor in 1936 for his performance in the screwball comedy My Man Godfrey, which led to further zany comedy roles. He later moved into television and acted in films again in France and Italy well into the 1960s.

<i>My Super Ex-Girlfriend</i> 2006 film directed by Ivan Reitman

My Super Ex-Girlfriend is a 2006 American superhero romantic comedy film directed by Ivan Reitman and starring Uma Thurman and Luke Wilson with Anna Faris, Eddie Izzard, Rainn Wilson and Wanda Sykes in supporting roles. In the film, When a regular guy dumps a superhero for her neediness, she uses her powers to make his life a living hell.

<i>Keep Em Flying</i> 1941 comedy film directed by Arthur Lubin

Keep 'Em Flying is a 1941 film starring the comedy team of Abbott and Costello. The film was their third service comedy based on the peacetime draft of 1940. The comedy team had appeared in two previous service comedies in 1941, before the United States entered the war: Buck Privates, released in January, and In the Navy, released in May. Flying Cadets, along with Keep 'Em Flying were both produced by Universal Pictures in 1941.

<i>Pick a Star</i> 1937 film by Edward Sedgwick

Pick a Star is a 1937 American musical comedy film starring Rosina Lawrence, Jack Haley, Patsy Kelly and Mischa Auer, directed by Edward Sedgwick, produced by Hal Roach and released through Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, and filmed by Norbert Brodine. A reworking of Buster Keaton's first talkie, Free and Easy, the film is mostly remembered today for two short scenes featuring Laurel and Hardy.

<i>Change of Heart</i> (1934 film) 1934 film by John G. Blystone

Change of Heart is a 1934 American pre-Code drama film starring Janet Gaynor, Charles Farrell, James Dunn, and Ginger Rogers. The movie, about a quartet of college chums who all move to 1934 New York City, was written by James Gleason and Sonya Levien from Kathleen Norris's novel, Manhattan Love Song and directed by John G. Blystone.

<i>The House Across the Bay</i> 1940 American film

The House Across the Bay is a 1940 film directed by Archie Mayo, starring George Raft and Joan Bennett, produced by Walter Wanger, written by Myles Connolly and Kathryn Scola, and released by United Artists. The supporting cast features Lloyd Nolan, Walter Pidgeon and Gladys George.

<i>Seven Sinners</i> (1940 film) 1940 film

Seven Sinners is a 1940 American drama romance film directed by Tay Garnett starring Marlene Dietrich and John Wayne in the first of three films they made together. The film was produced by Universal Pictures in black and white.

<i>For Heavens Sake</i> (1950 film) 1950 film by George Seaton

For Heaven's Sake is a 1950 fantasy film starring Clifton Webb as an angel trying to save the marriage of a couple played by Joan Bennett and Robert Cummings. It was adapted from the play May We Come In? by Harry Segall.

<i>I Met My Love Again</i> 1938 American film

I Met My Love Again is a 1938 American romantic drama film distributed by United Artists, directed by Joshua Logan, Arthur Ripley and George Cukor. The screenplay was written by David Hertz, based on the novel Summer Lightning by Allene Corliss. The film stars Joan Bennett and Henry Fonda.

<i>Walter Wangers Vogues of 1938</i> 1937 American film

Walter Wanger's Vogues of 1938 is a 1937 musical comedy film produced by Walter Wanger and distributed by United Artists. It was directed by Irving Cummings, written by Bella Spewack and Sam Spewack, and starred Warner Baxter and Joan Bennett. It was filmed in New York City in Technicolor.

<i>The Petty Girl</i> 1950 film by Henry Levin

The Petty Girl (1950), known in the UK as Girl of the Year, is a musical romantic comedy Technicolor film starring Robert Cummings and Joan Caulfield. Cummings portrays painter George Petty who falls for Victoria Braymore (Caulfield), the youngest professor at Braymore College who eventually becomes "The Petty Girl".

<i>Sentimental Journey</i> (film) 1946 film by Walter Lang

Sentimental Journey is a 1946 American drama film directed by Walter Lang and starring John Payne, Maureen O'Hara and William Bendix. It was produced and distributed by 20th Century Fox. The film was remade in 1958 as The Gift of Love with Lauren Bacall and Robert Stack.

Eight-Ball Andy is an American comedy short released by Columbia Pictures on March 11, 1948. It stars Andy Clyde, Dick Wessel, Maude Prickett, Florence Auer, and Vernon Dent.

<i>Up in Mabels Room</i> (1944 film) 1944 film by Allan Dwan

Up in Mabel's Room is a 1944 American comedy film directed by Allan Dwan and starring Marjorie Reynolds, Dennis O'Keefe and Gail Patrick. It is based on the 1919 play by Wilson Collison and Otto A. Harbach. The film's composer, Edward Paul, was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Original Score in 1945.

<i>That Girl from Paris</i> 1937 film by Leigh Jason

That Girl from Paris is a 1936 American musical comedy film directed by Leigh Jason and starring Lily Pons, Jack Oakie, and Gene Raymond. The film made a profit of $101,000. John O. Aalberg was nominated for an Academy Award in the category Sound Recording.

<i>Fireman Save My Child</i> (1954 film) 1954 film by Leslie Goodwins

Fireman Save My Child is a 1954 American comedy film starring Hugh O'Brian and Buddy Hackett. The movie was originally intended for Bud Abbott and Lou Costello. It was directed by Leslie Goodwins.

<i>Service de Luxe</i> 1938 film by Rowland V. Lee

Service de Luxe is a 1938 American comedy film directed by Rowland V. Lee and starring Constance Bennett, Vincent Price and Charles Ruggles.

<i>Twin Beds</i> (1929 film) 1929 film

Twin Beds is a 1929 American comedy film directed by Alfred Santell and written by F. McGrew Willis. It is based on the 1914 play Twin Beds by Edward Salisbury Field and Margaret Mayo. The film stars Jack Mulhall, Patsy Ruth Miller, Edythe Chapman, Knute Erickson, Jocelyn Lee and Nita Martan. The film was released by Warner Bros. on July 14, 1929.

References

  1. "Twin Beds".
  2. "SCREEN NEWS HERE AND IN HOLLYWOOD: Joan Bennett, George Brent, Mischa Auer to Have Feature Roles in 'Twin Beds' NEW PICTURE AT RIALTO ' Citadel of Crime' Is Listed to Open Friday -- Anne Neagle Leaves for England Today". New York Times. August 19, 1941. p. 24.
  3. Schallert, Edwin (February 1941). "Earle Brings New Idea; Ford to Do Big-Seller: 'Twin Beds' Plans Made Society Name Wins Lead Marie Wilson Role Set Paramount Casts Denning Bates Replaces Bainter". Los Angeles Times. p. 7.
  4. Schallert, Edwin (May 15, 1942). "Farce Handicapped, Crook Tale Good in Dual Program". Los Angeles Times. p. 13.