The Doughgirls

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!

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.

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.

... but it was funny--a nice diversion. This film featured six couples who end up sharing the honeymoon suite during the WWII housing shortage. Jane Wyman and Jack Carson are one of the couples who are married by a Justice of the Peace and end up at the hotel. Ann Sheridan and husband John Ridgely are the married couple who are currently staying in the honeymoon suite and have a hard time leaving when Wyman and Carson show up. Later, Alexis Smith and (real-life) husband Craig Stevens show up as an engaged couple who want to marry before Stevens leaves for his next military assignment. Eve Arden is a Soviet solider who just shows up (and maybe is staying in the room too? I don't know. There were so many people in there). Charles Ruggles rounds out the cast as Carson's boss, but later ends up as Wyman's boss.

Carson, who is supposed to be on his honeymoon with Wyman, refuses to stay in the suite because of all the extra people. Wyman's character, is a complete dim-wit and doormat. Sheridan and Smith walk all over her. It seems that the three ladies are also acquainted with one another, which is most likely the main reason why Wyman won't kick them out. Wyman's character, in my opinion, is the only sour note in the film, because her character is so irritating. She brags about her haircut to multiple people in the film and it's terrible. She has that matronly poodle cut hair style that so many women during the 1940s-1950s adopted which instantly aged them 10-15 years. Sheridan and Smith, while definitely wearing 1940s hairstyles, look much more sleek and sophisticated. Sheridan, Smith and Arden were my favorite characters in the film.

This movie was so frantic and had so many different characters and situations that at times, it was hard to follow what was going on. However, overall, it was funny and a great way to spend an hour and a half. This type of film fulfills the exact role I want from my movies: escapism. When I watch a movie, I want to be able to forget about all the awful things I heard/read about on the news that day. Even if it's not an absurd movie like The Doughgirls, and is something more serious like a noir, I am still able to escape. Noir films are so stylized that you're swept up into their world.

Amazing what you can do with the lowly soybean. Not only can you make gasoline out of it but you can make eight year old scotch, caviar, and horseradish. Just think of how many horses that could save.

This movie is a little gem. Jane Wyman is a hoot. After seeing her in nothing but fifties weepies and Falcon Crest her turn as a scatterbrain newlywed bride having her honeymoon interrupted by two of her best friends and then all and sundry shows her as an adept comedian.

Alexis Smith and Ann Sheridan as the girlfriends, Jack Carson (always a pleasure to see) and Eve Arden as the Russian soldier (Cyd Charise had to have watched this movie over and over because her Ninotchka accent is a dead on mimic of Eve Arden but with a more serious tone) round out the perfect cast for this screwball comedy.

This movie is just plain funny. It has fast and sassy snappy patter and just breezes along.

Check out those hairstyles! The clothes! How well photographed it is!

This film might seem odd to modern sensibilities, but let yourself go back to a simpler time where the motion picture code ruled and there was a censor right around every corner. I was rather surprised by a scene involving a bottle of scotch, the bell boy and the room he is told to take the bottle into.

The Doughgirls is fast, fun and funny. Just go along for the ride and you won't be disappointed. Let the hilarity ensue!