Playmates (1941)

Lulu Monahan (Patsy Kelly), the press agent for John Barrymore (John Barrymore),is attempting to get a sponsor for a radio program. To that end, she and the agent for bandleader Kay Kyser (... See full summary »

Director:

David Butler

Writers:

James V. Kern (story), M.M. Musselman (story)

Stars:

Kay Kyser, John Barrymore, Lupe Velez

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Kay Kyser	...	Kay Kyser
John Barrymore	...	John Barrymore
Lupe Velez	...	Carmen del Toro
Ginny Simms	...	Ginny Simms - Band Singer
May Robson	...	Grandma Kyser
Patsy Kelly	...	Lulu Monahan
Peter Lind Hayes	...	Peter Lindsay
Kay Kyser Band	...	Kay Kyser's Band
Harry Babbitt	...	Harry Babbitt - Band Member
M.A. Bogue	...	Ish Kabibble (as Ish Kabibble)
Sully Mason	...	Sully Mason - Band Member

Storyline

Lulu Monahan (Patsy Kelly), the press agent for John Barrymore (John Barrymore),is attempting to get a sponsor for a radio program. To that end, she and the agent for bandleader Kay Kyser (Kay Kyser), plant a story that the great Shakespearean actor, over his heartfelt objections, will teach Kyser how to play Shakespeare, which isn't the same as playing Paducah, which soon becomes evident. Highlights are the singing of Ginny Simms and a rumba by Lupe Velez; lowlights already cited.

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Plot Keywords:

actor shares last name with character | actor shares first and last name with character | actress shares first and last name with character | actress shares first name with character | actress shares last name with character | 

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Genres:

Comedy | Music

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Certificate:

Passed

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

26 December 1941 (USA)

Also Known As:

Dois Romeus Enguiçados

Filming Locations:

Pasadena, California, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

RKO Radio Pictures

Technical Specs

Runtime:

96 min (copyright length) 95 min (Turner library print)

Sound Mix:

Mono (RCA Sound System)

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The song "Humpty Dumpty Heart" highlights (it can actually be seen in the shot) a soprano sarrusophone, an extremely rare instrument outside of French military bands. It's essentially a cross between a soprano saxophone and an oboe, and that's exactly what it sounds like.

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Goofs

When Carmen throws the knife at John and Lulu, the wire used is clearly visible, and a small hole where it sticks in the wall is already present.

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Quotes

John Barrymore: Don't mind my secretary, Mr. Tremble, she is a thyroid patient.
Philip Tremble: I hope I haven't upset her.
John Barrymore: Oh, no. Not at all. Not at all. She loves getting hysterical!

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Connections

References Love Finds Andy Hardy (1938)

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Soundtracks

Romeo Smith and Juliet Jones
(1941)
Music by Jimmy Van Heusen (as James Van Husen)
Lyrics by Johnny Burke
Sung by Harry Babbitt, Sully Mason, Ginny Simms, M.A. Bogue, Peter Lind Hayes and The Guardsmen,
with the Kay Kyser Band at the Festival

User Reviews

Somewhat Sad Comedy

Playmates (1941)

* 1/2 (out of 4)

John Barrymore plays himself in this his final movie, which sees the great actor go out on a rather bad note. In the film Barrymore is pretty much playing his real life problem as he can't get any good press so his agent (Patsy Kelly) comes up with a scheme to say he's going to teach bandleader Kay Kyser how to be a Shakespearean actor. As with Barrymore's THE GREAT PROFILE, this so-called comedy has more frowns than anything else as it's rather sad seeing Barrymore having to spoof himself and make fun of his rather serious alcohol problem, which would claim his life the following year. With that in mind, it's sometimes rather hard to laugh at certain jokes that are clearly aimed to spoof him and his drinking. It's also rather obvious that he's quite bloated here and in many scenes he appears to be drunk so this here too will stick in your mind while watching the film. I will add that he isn't a complete wash out like many reviews would have you believe. Yes, he's incredibly over the top but no one does that quite like Barrymore and in his own charming way the performance is rather charming. His first appearance in the film will certainly put a smile on your face and you can't help but feel, at times, that he's really giving it all and giving a complete work out of a performance. We also get to see him act out Hamlet and give the famous "To be or not to be..." line. That alone is worth sitting through this otherwise forgettable film. The biggest problem is the actual screenplay that has one joke and it's not a very funny one. Barrymore teaching Kyser to do Shakespeare. That whole joke isn't funny and that means the film itself isn't going to be funny. We do have some mildly amusing moments but the pacing is incredibly bad and the 94-minute running time drags by rather painfully. Kyser gets a couple good musical numbers and he has his own bit of charm in terms of his performance. Kelly gets a few good lines with Lupe Velez and May Robson giving some support. In the end however, this is a pretty poor film that would sadly be Barrymore's last. Fans of his might want to check it out but others would be better served to see the actor in some of his better roles.