The Doughgirls

Ann Sheridan, who could play anything... in a wartime flick. INCREDIBLE cast... Sheridan, Eve Arden, Jane Wyman. The amazing Jack Carson, who was always second banana. Arthur and Vivian (Carson and Wyman) get married during WW II, and find people in the hotel room they had reserved. "Doughboy" was usually used for soldiers during WW i.... Charles Ruggles is here for comedic effect. and it turns out the new bride knows the ladies who won't get out of their room! the women are all old buddies from way back. the plot thickens! and the incredible Eve Arden is russian Sergaent Moskoroff. anything Arden is in has GOT to be good! Directed by James Kern; this was his FIRST film as director. and he moved into television pretty quickly, so i guess he wasn't so successful as a director. died young at 57 of a heart attack, and according to imdb, died at DesiLu Studios, in Culver City. pretty rare to have such a specific location. this story started as a play by Joe Fields, who also had a hand in "Gentlemen Prefer Blondes"! it's pretty good.

Directed by James V. Kern from the Joseph A. Fields play, adapted by Kern and Sam Hellman with additional material from Wilkie Mahoney, this wartime comedy features a terrific cast in yet another story about how the crowded living conditions in our nation's capital during World War II made strange bedfellows and played havoc with relationships.

It all starts when Jack Carson and Jane Wyman get married and try to begin their honeymoon in a Washington, D.C. hotel whose lobby is overrun with people needing a room. Despite their reservation, they discover that their room's bathtub is already occupied by Ann Sheridan's character, who happens to be ditzy Wyman's old chorus line pal. Naturally she's allowed to stay as is their other gal-pal Alexis Smith, who's married to a lieutenant (actress Smith's soon to be husband Craig Stevens).

Things really heat up when Sheridan's husband's (John Ridgely) ex- wife (Irene Manning) shows up, and a gun-toting female Russian army sergeant (Eve Arden) and Carson's lecherous boss (Charles Ruggles) join the mix, further delaying-frustrating Wyman-Carson's consummation.

Alan Mowbray appears as a radio correspondent. Donald MacBride, a judge and Regis Toomey, an FBI man also appear.

Frenzied comedy with a dated situation, the housing shortage during WWII in DC, but an amazing cast of brilliant actresses. The golden era of Hollywood had a wonderful surplus of female stars but rarely were so many teamed in one film. The film has many funny lines and they are expertly delivered by the ladies.

It's no surprise that Ann Sheridan is wonderful she was always an outstanding comedienne, skillful with a quip or a withering look.

Alexis Smith gets shortchanged somewhat with the best lines but has a very cute scene on a pretend witness stand and is up to whatever good lines come her way plus she and Ann are ultra glamorous, as befits stars of the period no matter what time it is in the movie day or night or their economic situation they are dressed to the nines and dripping in eye popping jewelry.

Jane Wyman manages to make her character, who can only be described as a borderline idiot, sweet and endearing rather than annoying or irritating which would have been easy from a less talented actress. The role is not something that was alien to her at the time, a feather headed dame, but considering her later work and persona which was much more sober if you only are familiar with that phase of her career this comes as a pleasant surprise.

Even as funny and strong as this trio is they don't stand a chance whenever Eve Arden swoops in as a Russian commando and steals her scenes without breaking a sweat. With undisguised glee she tears into her character with abandon and wipes everybody out of the picture.

On top of all that there's still Charlie Ruggles and Alan Mowbray adding fun touches in support.

A delightful way to spend a couple of hours that this is so obscure is a head scratcher. Sadly it's never been released on any format, hopefully one day it will at least see the light of day on the Warners on demand website.

Many of the reviews here seem to be posted by people who have no clue as to the time period of history which this film is set in. When you watch an older contemporary film you need to be able to watch it with the mindset of a viewer seeing it in a theater at it's release. If you can't relate to 1944, you don't get this film. If you do it's a true gem.

Warner's threw it's best female leads at this, Ann Sheridan, Jane Wyman and Alexis Smith (sans Bette Davis), capped off with Eve Arden in a memorable role, added Jack Carson and the reliable John Ridgely, stirred in Charlie Ruggles, Alan Mowbry and Regis Toomey in brief support and a supporting cast rated A+ It is a manic comedy, but if you don't get the political and historic tongue in cheek it falls flat. If you do, sublime!

I was so busy watching ANN SHERIDAN looking so great that I had a hard time keeping track of the zany plot. She really had a flair for comedy, even this kind of absurd farce, that it's a shame she was never given better scripts. JANE WYMAN plays the sort of dumb blonde that made Marilyn famous (only she's a brunette here)--but she too is saddled with overly dumb remarks that even JACK Carson has a hard time swallowing. And ALEXIS SMITH proves that behind that frozen puss she has a real sense of humor. Catch the scene where she stoops to telling a tale of woe in a Brooklyn accent! Incidentally, her boyfriend in the film is the man she eventually married in real life--CRAIG REYNOLDS.

I don't fault the actors. CHARLES RUGGLES is actually quite good as a businessman attracted to Wyman. And character actor JOHN RIDGELY gets to play a prominent supporting role as Sheridan's fiancé with a good deal of amiable charm and skill. For these reasons alone, the film is worth watching despite the over-baked ham.

But beware of most of the farce, which is directed with the finesse of a sledgehammer bearing down on all the lines, emphasized by big close-ups of the cast in wide-eyed reaction shots in case we don't get the point.

It's another in a number of wartime films (WWII) emphasizing the overcrowded hotel conditions in Washington, D.C. from the very opening shot--similar to "The More the Merrier" and "Government Girl."

Terribly overdone, downright hammy performances from everyone including EVE ARDEN as "a Russian Sergeant York" who shoots her rifle from the terrace. Jane Wyman's character gets annoying after the first few remarks and from then on I kept my eyes on Sheridan. Her reactions are priceless, if a bit over-the-top.

Trivia note: MARK STEVENS has only a couple of lines to say during one of the crowded hotel scenes as Reynolds' Army friend and NATALIE SCHAEFER has no lines at all as a woman holding a baby.