George Washington Slept Here (1942)

New Yorkers Bill and Connie Fuller have to move from their apartment. Without Bill's knowledge, Connie purchases a delapidated old farmhouse in Pennsylvania, where George Washington was ... See full summary »

Director:

William Keighley

Writers:

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

Stars:

Jack Benny, Ann Sheridan, Charles Coburn

Nominated for 1 Oscar.

Cast

Complete credited 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

Storyline

New Yorkers Bill and Connie Fuller have to move from their apartment. Without Bill's knowledge, Connie purchases a delapidated old farmhouse in Pennsylvania, where George Washington was supposed to have actually slept during the American Revolution. Much of the humor comes from the couple's many problems they encounter while trying to fix up the place.

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Plot Keywords:

apartment | pennsylvania | george washington | leaky roof | theater | 

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Taglines:

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

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Genres:

Comedy

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Certificate:

Approved

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

28 November 1942 (USA)

Also Known As:

La maison de mes rêves

Company Credits

Production Co:

Warner Bros

Technical Specs

Runtime:

93 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (RCA Sound System)

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Leon Ames, who appears as a neighbor, makes reference to "The Man Who Came To Dinner" (1942), another Moss Hart/Irving Kaufman play. He states that he is appearing in that play in a community theater.

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Goofs

When Jack Benny's character is putting up the roof on his convertible, during the first rain storm at the new/old house, he forgets to put up his windows. As a minute ago he was speaking with Mr. Kilbride.

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Quotes

Connie Fuller: This must be why people drink, it makes them feel better.

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Connections

Referenced in The Girl Can't Help It (1956)

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Soundtracks

"Yankee Doodle"
(uncredited)
Music traditional - English origin (ca. 1755)
Variations in the score throughout

User Reviews

Amusing comedy has some real laughs...especially from Percy Kilbride...

I've always enjoyed stories about a couple moving to the country to either fix up an old house or deal with a house that turns out to be haunted, etc. Along these lines I think of films like 'Mr. Blandings Builds His Dream House' and/or the suspenseful 'The Uninvited'. But, of course, with Jack Benny as the star you know you're in for comedy when he and his attractive wife (Ann Sheridan) decide to shed city dweller status and move to a more rural setting. Sheridan has her heart set on a ramshackle old house in Connecticut that seems to be falling apart--but with the help of movie magic she fixes it up and--presto--looks like something out of a House Beautiful catalog. The comedy is outdated and some of it falls short of the mark, but not when neighbor Percy Kilbride is around. Reportedly, Jack and Ann found it hard to keep a straight face when Kilbride cracked some of his dryly humorous observations (in Pa Kettle style). Benny ruined many a take when he was unable to stifle a laugh. Some of the slapstick he and others are subjected to is painful, but all in all this is diverting enough entertainment. Ann Sheridan is a sheer pleasure to watch and Charles Coburn shows up as a story-telling uncle who turns out to be a real phony. Hattie McDaniel and Franklin Pangborn add to the fun, making it worth a peek. One of Benny's better films.