The Doughgirls (1944)

Arthur and Vivian are just married, but when the get to their honeymoon suite in Washington D.C., they find it occupied. Arthur goes to meet Slade, his new boss, and when he comes back, he ... See full summary »

Director:

James V. Kern

Writers:

Joseph Fields (play), Sam Hellman,

Stars:

Ann Sheridan, Alexis Smith, Jack Carson

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Ann Sheridan	...	Edna Stokes Cadman
Alexis Smith	...	Nan Curtiss Dillon
Jack Carson	...	Arthur Halstead
Jane Wyman	...	Vivian Marsden Halstead
Irene Manning	...	Mrs. Sylvia Cadman
Charles Ruggles	...	Stanley Slade
Eve Arden	...	Sgt. Natalia Moskoroff
John Ridgely	...	Julian Cadman
Alan Mowbray	...	Breckenridge Drake
John Alexander	...	Warren Buckley
Craig Stevens	...	Lt. Tom Dillon
Barbara Brown	...	Elizabeth Brush Cartwright
Francis Pierlot	...	Mr. Jordan
Donald MacBride	...	Judge Franklin
Regis Toomey	...	Timothy Walsh, FBI

Storyline

Arthur and Vivian are just married, but when the get to their honeymoon suite in Washington D.C., they find it occupied. Arthur goes to meet Slade, his new boss, and when he comes back, he finds three girls in his suite. He orders Vivian to get rid of them, but they are friends of Vivian's and as time goes by, it looks more like Grand Central Station than the quiet honeymoon suite Arthur expected. As long as there is anyone else in the suite, Arthur will not stay there and there will be no honeymoon.

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Plot Keywords:

honeymoon | washington d.c. | bridal suite | romantic misunderstanding | screwball comedy | 

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Taglines:

IT'S A SCREAM ON THE SCREEN! (original ad - all caps)

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Genres:

Comedy

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Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

25 November 1944 (USA)

Also Known As:

Esposas Solteiras

Filming Locations:

Warner Brothers Burbank Studios - 4000 Warner Boulevard, Burbank, California, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Warner Bros

Technical Specs

Runtime:

102 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (RCA Sound System)

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Did You Know?

Quotes

Vivian Marsden Halstead: [At door to hotel] Darling, are you gonna carry me over the threshold?
Arthur Halstead: [Arms full of luggage] I can't baby. I've got all these other bags. C'mon.

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Connections

References Sergeant York (1941)

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Soundtracks

"Bridal Chorus"
(uncredited)
From "Lohengrin"
Music by Richard Wagner
Played toward the beginning and a number of times on piano

User Reviews

If a kid could appreciate it, it must be good

I saw this when it came out. Although I was only around 7 or 8 years old, I found it a very funny movie. I expect that I didn't understand most of the jokes, but the situation and the constant frenetic action, characters coming and going, must have impressed me. I found Eve Arden's character particularly funny. Firing a rifle salute from a swanky hotel balcony...wow!

Looking at it now, it is clear that it was originally a stage play-characters coming and going on one set. Machine-gun rapid quips, jokes, reactions...if one joke doesn't get you, the next one will. Jane Wyman's dumb Dora character was a stock comedy character in those days (Gracie Allen). It might have been demeaning for her to play, but it made her a star before her later weepies.

The Washington no rooms to rent situation is long forgotten. Absurdist humor has gone out of fashion, perhaps because our society has become so absurd that absurdity is no longer funny. Thus, a lot of the humor of this film and its satire don't register today. Yet, it was quite good for its time, and it is still a hoot to watch today.