'Fun on a Week-End' (1947)

Peterson Price Porterhouse III (Eddie Bracken)) and Nancy Crane (Priscilla Lane), both flat broke, meet on a Florida beach and decide to "go for the big money," under the premise that ... See full summary »

Director:

Andrew L. Stone

Writer:

Andrew L. Stone (original screenplay)

Stars:

Eddie Bracken, Priscilla Lane, Tom Conway

Cast

Cast overview:
Eddie Bracken	...	Pete Porter aka P.P. Porterhouse III
Priscilla Lane	...	Nancy Crane
Tom Conway	...	Jefferson Van Orsdale Jr.
Allen Jenkins	...	Joe Morgan
Arthur Treacher	...	Benjamin O. Moffatt
Clarence Kolb	...	Quigley Quackenbush
Alma Kruger	...	Mrs. Van Orsdale
Russell Hicks	...	John Biddle
Fritz Feld	...	Sergei Stroganoff
Richard Hageman	...	Cyrus Cowperwaithe
Lester Allen	...	Hot Dog Vendor

Storyline

Peterson Price Porterhouse III (Eddie Bracken)) and Nancy Crane (Priscilla Lane), both flat broke, meet on a Florida beach and decide to "go for the big money," under the premise that perception will turn into reality. They crash into several big houses, pretending they are in the market for an estate, and are soon, although still penniless, living in the best hotel in town, throwing lavish parties and mingling with the upper crust. This is too good to last, but may have anyway if true love hadn't reared its ugly head.

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Genres:

Comedy

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Certificate:

Approved

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

15 May 1947 (USA)

Also Known As:

The Pretenders

Company Credits

Production Co:

Andrew L. Stone Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

93 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Sound System)

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Of Priscilla Lane's 22 feature films released between 1937 and 1948, her last two screen appearances - this one and then Bodyguard - were in modest productions going without contemporary New York Times reviews.

User Reviews

A WASPy Name And Plenty Of Nerve

Borrowing quite liberally from the Mark Twain short story classic The Million Pound Note, Fun On A Weekend doesn't even give protagonists Eddie Bracken and Priscilla Lane even a note for a $1.25. But what they do give him is the incredibly posh and WASPy name of Peterson Price Porterhouse and the film puts forth the proposition that if you've got a high falutin' name like that doors just automatically open with the right gift of gab.

Bracken and Lane are a pair of tourists on vacation in Florida, but who apparently planned poorly because they've got no money between them and can't even get a meal at Allen Jenkins greasy spoon restaurant on the beach front. But with his name and the fact that Bracken and Lane decide to pretend they're married, they go off on a wild revolving con game getting all kinds of things charged to their non-existent credit because the rich and famous think they're two of them.

Fun On A Weekend was an independent film shot on a shoestring and released by United Artists. However that doesn't detract one bit from the witty lines and incredible situations that Bracken and Lane bluff their way through. Along the way they pick up a big boxer dog who adopts them and who likes to chew very high class mahogany style wood. What he does to concert pianist Fritz Feld's piano is positively hilarious.

This film is an undiscovered comedy gem, I'm so happy TCM decided to air it, hopefully it will be back soon.