Make Your Own Bed

Uneven comedy that benefits from Jack Carson's mugging skills but that's about all. The plot's darn near incomprehensible in its three main threads. The comedic thread where Carson and Wyman take on servant's duties they're totally unprepared for is promising. The second thread about his detective work is okay. But the third, about supposedly pseudo-Nazis is a gesture to the time and very poorly managed.

Overall, the comedy's left mainly to Carson and not the movie itself. Then too, director Godfrey doesn't seem very engaged, as though the script and Carson should be enough. Check out director Alan Dwan's thematically similar Getting Gertie's Garter (1945) for an edifying contrast. Nonetheless, there are some amusing bits— the bed bouncing test that's also innuendo, Carson and Wyman preparing the world's worst fancy meal, and Carson showering in the girl's quarters where towels magically appear. Too bad Carson's largely forgotten. He was a fine all around actor, as adept at drama as he was at comedy. The movie, however, is far from his best.

Exhibit A that the screwball comedy was still alive in 1944. Maybe not exactly well, but energetically kicking. Jack Carter's dynamism and Jane Wyman's comic versatility keep one involved in this fast-paced romp, even though the plot is nearly incoherent.

The framing device is a wealthy December-May couple, delightfully played by Alan Hale & Irene Manning, desperate to obtain household help for their country estate. Throw in Jack Carter as an incompetent & feckless would-be detective, stringing along his quizzical fiancée Jane Wyman.

Carter & Wyman's bumbling as butler and cook are hilarious, underscored by Manning as their ditzy boss.

A comical, but not exactly comical development involving Nazi spies--or are they?--gets hopelessly garbled. A strange plot device in 1944. Yet the charm of the principal actors makes for an entertaining time.

Jack Carson and Jane Wyman star in "Make Your Own Bed," from 1944, also starring Alan Hale and Ricardo Cortez.

Carson plays Jerry, a private detective, who is in jail for arresting the DA. In jail, he meets Walter (Hale) there on a minor matter. Walter is desperate for a cook and butler. In order to get Jerry to work for him, he says that his life is in danger, a neighbor is after his wife, and Nazi spies abound. He also wants a cook, so Jerry talks his fiancée Susan (Wyman) to go along with him.

Walter does all he can to keep Jerry "on the case." He sends threatening letters to himself and hires radio actors to play spies.

Walter can't buttle, and Susan can't cook but they keep trying; despite there being no case originally, it turns out there is one after all.

Cute but dated, with Jerry presenting Susan as his wife and then being stuck in a room with her that has a double bed. It's a very slight movie, with decent acting. Carson was always pleasant and Wyman very talented and pretty, Hale appropriately uppity - all are good, there's just not much to the movie.

Funny guys Jack Carson and Alan Hale SENIOR ! every black and white film in the 1940s, 1950s had at least one of them, sometimes both of them. This one has the silliest, convoluted plot... it's 1944, so deep in WW II, so everyone is on the lookout for spies. For job security, Whirtle (Hale) hires on Jerry and Susan (Carson and Jane Wyman) as household help. but.. they aren't really married, and we're still way in the film code, so they shouldn't be sleeping in the same room, much less the same bed. this takes up a lot of the story... the bedroom caper, as they try to figure out the sleeping logistics. are there really spies running around? maybe. maybe not. it's a fun, silly script, but they needed some fun during dark wartime. some fun sight gags. and George Tobias, character actor for YEARS, before he ended up as Abner, the next door neighbor on Bewitched. this one is very well done. not many people could turn a spy thriller into a bedroom farce and keep it fun. why such low rating on imdb?? directed by brit Peter Godfrey. worked with some great stars, made some great films.

This is one of those movies from the first half of the 20th century that is based on a concept that a 21st century viewer can't relate to without some sort of explanation. Much of the conflict revolves around the idea of: "Oh, dear, they think we're married and they expect us to sleep in the same room, but we're not married and therefore we can't possibly sleep in the same room. Whatever will we do?" It wasn't even the idea of having sex outside of marriage that was so horrifying. It was just being in the same room. Maybe an audience in 1944 would have understood that, but in 2005 the reaction is "Who the hell cares if they're married? You don't plan to have sex, don't have sex. Keep your clothes on if you want to. But shut up already about whether you're married or not." It's just too stupid for anybody to care about.