Radio lecturer Sheridan Whiteside (Monty Woolley) reluctantly agrees to visit a family in Ohio for dinner to help a friend. He slips and falls on the ice outside their house. He is confined to a wheelchair and can not leave their house for another two weeks. He also has a VERY bad temper and fires cruel insults off left and right. In the space of two weeks he disrupts the entire household by meddling into their lives and playing host to a steady stream of crazy guests. His secretary (Bette Davis) keeps everything calm.
Hysterical comedy seemingly forgotten. It was also a hit Broadway play. It's VERY quick and has sharp dialogue delivered breathlessly by the cast. Davis nicely downplays her role (she was also the one who persuaded Warner Bros. to do this film). Ann Sheridan is great playing an actress who will do anything for money. And Jimmy Durante appears as Banjo--he overacts all over the place but he IS funny. Best of all is Woolley--he played this role on stage and it shows. He's just great. He plays it to perfection. He was BORN to do this. The only bad acting is by Richard Travers playing hunky Bert Jefferson. He's just terrible! His idea of acting is grinning nonstop at EVERYTHING. And his drunk scene is deplorable. In a way he's so bad he's fascinating to watch.
One minor complaint--Some of the jokes were topical in 1941 (there are references to Tillie the Toiler and various political figures of the time). Today they might be bewildering to some people---those jokes have dated BADLY! But that's a small complaint--this is essentially a great movie with a great twist ending.
A must see!
Hysterical comedy seemingly forgotten. It was also a hit Broadway play. It's VERY quick and has sharp dialogue delivered breathlessly by the cast. Davis nicely downplays her role (she was also the one who persuaded Warner Bros. to do this film). Ann Sheridan is great playing an actress who will do anything for money. And Jimmy Durante appears as Banjo--he overacts all over the place but he IS funny. Best of all is Woolley--he played this role on stage and it shows. He's just great. He plays it to perfection. He was BORN to do this. The only bad acting is by Richard Travers playing hunky Bert Jefferson. He's just terrible! His idea of acting is grinning nonstop at EVERYTHING. And his drunk scene is deplorable. In a way he's so bad he's fascinating to watch.
One minor complaint--Some of the jokes were topical in 1941 (there are references to Tillie the Toiler and various political figures of the time). Today they might be bewildering to some people---those jokes have dated BADLY! But that's a small complaint--this is essentially a great movie with a great twist ending.
A must see!