Playmates (1941)

Director:

David Butler

Writers:

James V. Kern (story) &
M.M. Musselman (story) ...
(more)

Release Date:

26 December 1941 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Musical

Plot:

Lulu Monahan (Patsy Kelly), the press agent for John Barrymore (Himself),is attempting to get a sponsor for a radio program...

Plot Keywords:

Press Agent | Actor | Bandleader | Singer | Publicity

US TV Schedule:

Thur. Dec. 17

10:00 AM

TCM

Cast

Kay Kyser	...	Kay Kyser
John Barrymore	...	John Barrymore
Lupe Velez	...	Carmen del Toro
Ginny Simms	...	Ginny Simms
May Robson	...	Grandma Kyser
Patsy Kelly	...	Lulu Monahan
Peter Lind Hayes	...	Peter Lindsay
Kay Kyser Band	...	Themselves
Harry Babbitt	...	Harry Babbitt
M.A. Bogue	...	Ish Kabibble (as Ish Kabibble)
Sully Mason	...	Sully Mason
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Dorothy Babb	...	Autograph Girl (uncredited)
Leon Belasco	...	Prince Maharoohu (uncredited)
Joseph E. Bernard	...	Thomas - Kyser's Butler (uncredited)
William Brandt	...	Member of The Guardsmen (uncredited)
Jack Carr	...	Pee Wee - Bartender (uncredited)
Bill Cartledge	...	Page Boy (uncredited)
Hobart Cavanaugh	...	Philip Tremble (uncredited)
Bill Chaney	...	Call Boy (uncredited)
George Cleveland	...	Mr. Nelson Pennypacker (uncredited)
Ray Cooke	...	Bellhop with Food (uncredited)
Alice Fleming	...	Mrs. Penelope Pennypacker (uncredited)
Jerry Frank	...	John Barton - Carmen's Escort (uncredited)
Jack Gargan	...	Nightclub Extra (uncredited)
The Guardsmen	...	Singers (uncredited)
Vinton Hayworth	...	Radio Commentator (uncredited)
Earl Hunsaker	...	Member of The Guardsmen (uncredited)
Henry Iblings	...	Member of The Guardsmen (uncredited)
Dudley Kuzelle	...	Member of The Guardsmen (uncredited)
Grace Lenard	...	Madeline (uncredited)
George McKay	...	First Taxi Driver (uncredited)
Bert Moorhouse	...	Nightclub Extra (uncredited)
Barry Norton	...	Rhumba Extra (uncredited)
Sally Payne	...	Gloria (uncredited)
Marshall Ruth	...	Comedy Bull Team Member (uncredited)
Charles Schaeffer	...	Masseur (uncredited)
Glenn Strange	...	Actor in Western FIlm (uncredited)
Fred Trowbridge	...	Hotel Clerk (uncredited)
Wally Walker	...	Comedy Bull Team Member (uncredited)
Dave Willock	...	Tommy - Photographer (uncredited)
Marie Windsor	...	Nightclub Extra (uncredited)

Directed by
David Butler

Writing credits
James V. Kern		(story) &
M.M. Musselman		(story)
James V. Kern		(screenplay)
Arthur Phillips		(additional dialogue)

Produced by
David Butler	....	producer

Original Music by
Roy Webb		(uncredited)

Cinematography by
Frank Redman		(director of photography)

Film Editing by
Irene Morra

Art Direction by
Carroll Clark
Albert S. D'Agostino		(as Albert D'Agostino)

Set Decoration by
Darrell Silvera

Costume Design by
Edward Stevenson		(gowns)

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Fred Fleck	....	assistant director (as Fred A. Fleck)

Sound Department
Earl A. Wolcott	....	sound recordist

Special Effects by
Vernon L. Walker	....	special effects

Editorial Department
Douglas Travers	....	montage

Music Department
George Duning	....	music arranger
Roy Webb	....	musical director

Other crew
Jack Crosby	....	dances stager
Herbert Farjeon	....	dialogue director (uncredited)

Production Companies

• RKO Radio Pictures

Distributors

• RKO Radio Pictures (1941) (USA) (theatrical)
• C&C Television Corporation (1955) (USA) (TV)

Runtime:

96 min (copyright length) | USA:95 min (Turner library print)

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (RCA Sound System)

Certification:

USA:TV-G (TV rating) | USA:Approved (PCA #7570)

Filming Locations:

Pasadena, California, USA

Company:

RKO Radio Pictures

Trivia:

This film contains the only screen footage of John Barrymore reciting Hamlet's famous "To be or not to be" soliloquy.

Quotes:

Mrs. Penelope Pennypacker: [to John Barrymore] Do sit down.
Grandma Kyser: My, my! Have an accident?
John Barrymore: No, thanks. I just had one.
[hollers as he sits down]
Mrs. Penelope Pennypacker: Oh, he must have sprained his back! I hope I have some liniments in the house!
Grandma Kyser: Have you ever tried rubbing alcohol?
John Barrymore: Not since prohibition.

Movie Connections:

References Love Finds Andy Hardy (1938)

Soundtrack:

Thank Your Lucky Stars and Stripes

Barrymore's final bow

Painful self humiliation from a fallen star. Barrymore here plays himself as a has been Shakespearean star so desperate for a Radio contract that he agrees to appear opposite Kay Kyser and band in a festival of the bard's plays.

John was on his last legs when he made this, as testified by a bloated and sometimes drunken appearance and he's treated badly by the script and cast (all his tax and drinking problems are trotted out as "humour" and in a dream scene Barrymore is even shown as a bull defeated by toreador Kyser). Yet this film does have a certain weird amusement value if you catch it in the right mood and if you can forget it's his final film..

Barrymore works very hard to make the most of this script, bellowing and posturing his way through the proceedings. It's a million miles from subtle but with his snorts and grunts and bulging eyes he certainly holds the attention and even generates the odd laugh. Occasionally there's a flash of his old talent. At one point he delivers part of Hamlet's To Be Or Not To Be soliquey in an attempt to demonstrate how Shakespeare should be performed. The film and the scene to this point lead us to expect that Barrymore will send the speech up.

Instead in the midst of the frantic mugging Barrymore gives a heart felt and totally straight reading of the scene. It lasts a minute and is intensely moving. There's genuine rawness here and John himself seems quite overcome. (It's extraordinary they kept this in) For a few scenes after this we get to hear his voice giving further beautifully modulated readings from Romeo and Juliet before the movie goes back to it's demeaning purpose.

Patsy Kelly is one of the other talents who help save this farrago from complete disaster.