Government Girl (1943)

Washington DC in the war. The machinery of government is a hive of endless if not seamless activity. Arnament production is the name of the game, by fair means or foul. Ed Browne, more used... See full summary »

Director:

Dudley Nichols

Writers:

Adela Rogers St. Johns (story), Budd Schulberg (adaptation),

Stars:

Olivia de Havilland, Sonny Tufts, Anne Shirley

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Olivia de Havilland	...	Elizabeth 'Smokey' Allard
Sonny Tufts	...	E.H. 'Ed' Browne
Anne Shirley	...	May Harness Blake
Jess Barker	...	Dana McGuire
James Dunn	...	Sergeant Joe Blake
Paul Stewart	...	Branch Owens
Agnes Moorehead	...	Adele - Mrs. Delancey Wright
Harry Davenport	...	Senator MacVickers
Una O'Connor	...	Mrs. Harris
Sig Ruman	...	Ambassador

Storyline

Washington DC in the war. The machinery of government is a hive of endless if not seamless activity. Arnament production is the name of the game, by fair means or foul. Ed Browne, more used to making cars in Detroit, is having to try and get planes made in this maelstrom. Luckily or unluckily, he finds he has a secretary who knows the political ropes - and her own mind.

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Plot Keywords:

washington d.c. | secretary | investigation | marriage proposal | hotel | 

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Genres:

Comedy | Romance

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Certificate:

Approved

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

5 November 1943 (USA)

Also Known As:

Dez Pequenas para um Homem

Filming Locations:

Washington, District of Columbia, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

RKO Radio Pictures

Technical Specs

Runtime:

94 min 93 min (Turner library print) 94 min (copyright length)

Sound Mix:

Mono (RCA Sound System)

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Leading lady Olivia de Havilland absolutely hated the role. She had not wanted to do the picture in the first place, but was forced into it by an arrangement whereby Warner Bros. loaned her services to David O. Selznick, who turned her over to RKO. Her distaste for the arrangement is evident in the wide variety of grimaces, smirks and other expressions she used to avoid creating a character of any depth or credibility.

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Soundtracks

"Lazy Bones"
(1933) (uncredited)
(Also called "Lazybones")
Music by Hoagy Carmichael
Lyrics by Johnny Mercer
Played on the radio at Smokey's and May's bedtime

User Reviews

What can't de Havilland do?

For over a decade, I have been favorably impressed by the work of Olivia de Havilland. That said, I had no high hopes for this film; I wanted to watch this film just to say I had, and to see de Havilland in a comedic role. I was pleasantly surprised, and I found myself rather taken in by the humor. Having seen Miss de Havilland in her Academy Award winning performances and many other dramatic roles, I was impressed by her comedic timing, facial expressions, and sharp sarcasm, which is also very prominent in her portrayal of Amy Lind in THE STRAWBERRY BLONDE. I by no means consider this film one of Hollywood's best, but it isn't all that bad and is definitely worth a watch - particularly if you want to see de Havilland in a different kind of role.