George Washington Slept Here (1942)

Director:

William Keighley

Writers:

Moss Hart (play) and
George S. Kaufman (play) ...

Release Date:

28 November 1942 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy

Tagline:

YOU'LL GET HAPPY HYSTERICS in this history-mocking comedy

Plot:

New Yorkers Bill and Connie Fuller have to move from their apartment. Without Bill's knowledge, Connie...

Plot Keywords:

Pennsylvania | George Washington | Apartment | Well | New York City

Awards:

Nominated for Oscar.

Cast

Jack Benny	...	Bill Fuller
Ann Sheridan	...	Connie Fuller
Charles Coburn	...	Uncle Stanley J. Menninger
Percy Kilbride	...	Mr. 'Kimbie' Kimber, the Handyman
Hattie McDaniel	...	Hester, the Fullers' Maid
William Tracy	...	Steve Eldridge
Joyce Reynolds	...	Madge
Lee Patrick	...	Rena Leslie
Charles Dingle	...	Mr. Prescott
John Emery	...	Clayton Evans
Douglas Croft	...	Raymond
Harvey Stephens	...	Jeff Douglas
Franklin Pangborn	...	Mr. Gibney

Runtime:

93 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (RCA Sound System)

Certification:

USA:Approved | USA:Passed (National Board of Review)

Company:

Warner Bros. Pictures

Trivia:

Near the beginning of the movie, while still in his New York apartment, the character played by Jack Benny mentions "Hobby Lobby". This was a radio program that was first broadcast nationally as a summer replacement for "The Jack Benny Show".

Quotes:

Bill Fuller: Connie, why didn't you tell me about this letter from the bank?
Connie Fuller: Oh, I didn't want to bother you, Bill.
Bill Fuller: It's just a letter about foreclosure, that's all.

Movie Connections:

References Tarzan the Ape Man (1932)

Soundtrack:

I'll Never Smile Again

One of my favorite classic comedies

George Washington Slept Here is a tour-de-force for the great Jack Benny. He is given the opportunity to fully display his comedic acting skills here, as the movie is written and directed with class and style. He's ably assisted in the hilarity by the equally great Ann Sheridan, and supporting cast members Percy Kilbride and Charles Coburn add even more comic class to the movie.

This is the kind of movie you can watch with your kids where you find that the entire family enjoys it equally. While some cynics may not enjoy this movie as much as I do (it is clearly a product of it's time), if you find that you enjoy classic comedies then you should give this one a chance.

Hopefully it will be released on DVD soon. (As of this writing, 2/05/05, it is not yet on DVD.)