Mania de Antiguidades

Funny movie whose comedy premise was picked up several years later by the better known Mr. Blandings Builds His Dream House (1948). Here Benny and wife Sheridan exit the city for a rural shack supposedly slept in by our first president. Of course the new digs turn out to be a bottomless money pit and source of irritation for the city-bred Benny. Add grouchy neighbor Charles Dingle, a nasty little nephew, a free-loading Charles Coburn, and a slow- talking handy-man and you've got a madcap mix of comedy antics.

It is an entertaining movie, but with all these promising ingredients why isn't the 90 minutes better than I think it is. For one, there's simply too much going on for director Kheighley to adroitly manage. The situations are inherently amusing, but lack the snap and polish needed to put them over. When Benny falls into the old well, for example, there's neither the reassuring dialog nor comedic reaction that would separate comedy from tragedy. Surprisingly, the scene closes with Benny down the well and viewers in doubt.

Jack Benny was one of the funniest guys around. But his humor was subtle and grew out of character. Radio and TV were perfect since he could play versions of his familiar tightwad personality. As good as he was in those venues, he was not a comedic actor. Here he's permanently flustered with a lot of dialog-- not the strongest suit for a comedian whose specialty were moments of quiet exasperation. He does well enough, but truth be told, the part could have been handled just as well by a dozen other actors. The role was perfect for a Cary Grant-type tizzy as Blandings would prove.

It's Percy Kilbride who walks off with the movie. There's been no one like him before or since. Drop a bomb on him and his deadpan expression wouldn't change. He's totally unflappable with a meat cleaver nose that could slice a side of beef. And what a moment of comedic inspiration when his crackling down-home voice slides into I'll Never Smile Again; it's like a head on Mt. Rushmore suddenly breaking into song. So out of character, it's a total crack up. The movie may not be front-rank, yet it does have its moments.

Years before Cary Grant and Myrna Loy tried to build their dreamhouse and decades before Tom Hanks and Shelley Long slipped into their money pit, Jack Benny and Ann Sheridan had a similar architectural mis-adventure. The two star as Bill and Connie Fuller, a couple of Manhattanites forced out of their apartment by their stringent landlord. Behind Bill's back, Connie buys a dilapidated house in the countryside that George Washington allegedly once spent the night in. The two set about fixing the place up, a Sisyphean task that is sure to make you laugh, in William Keighley's 'George Washington Slept Here.'

Based on the play of the same name by Moss Hart and George S. Kaufman, Everett Freeman's screenplay is frequently funny, occasionally contrived and not terrifically ambitious. The conceit is simple and the narrative structure is linear- a house is renovated. It's not what one would call an unpredictable story. On top of that, the characters aren't especially well- rounded creations, and conflicts which arise between them throughout feel forced. The witty dialogue and sharp interplay between those characters is entertaining, though, and the antics they engage in whilst repairing the house are funny; if not terribly original. It may not be the most sophisticated tale ever, but it is an enjoyable one.

The house- the main location in the film- is the same one used in 'Arsenic and Old Lace,' and Casey Roberts's set dressing and decoration of it is impressive work. Allegedly, the crew roughed the place up with sledgehammers before shooting, and the results are striking. One could be forgiven for thinking the building had really been abandoned for years. This all may seem like a trivial point to make, but when a film revolves around a structure being dilapidated; it's important that it actually does look run-down- the house in 'George Washington Slept Here' really does.

Ernest Haller was a great cinematographer with a keen eye and a real flair behind the camera, with his striking work in films like 'Gone With The Wind' and 'Rebel Without a Cause' still being extolled today. His work on 'George Washington Slept Here' is less laudable, consisting of visuals that are underwhelming and flat- dull, even. Additionally, of issue is Ralph Dawson's editing: a loose affair which leaves the film with an uneven pace- and as the aphorism goes, with comedy it's all in the timing.

A performer of impeccable comic timing, Jack Benny is terrific in the film. He was a suave, instantly likable entertainer of much charm, wit and talent, which he showcases in his performance as Bill. The character was written for him, and is quite similar to the persona established on his radio and television programs. Naturally, the role fits Benny like a glove, and he and co-star Ann Sheridan have a good chemistry on screen.

Sheridan has less to do then Benny, playing the straight-man, so to speak; a feat she was more than capable of. Her understated performance is beguiling, and she proves that she had the ability to handle comedy deftly. From the supporting cast, Percy Kilbride does a memorable turn as an eccentric building contractor, Hattie McDaniel is consistently good as the Fuller's maid and Charles Coburn steals his all too few scenes as the Fullers' tight-fisted uncle.

'George Washington Slept Here' is a light, well-acted and thoroughly enjoyable comedy from William Keighley that is sure to please and amuse. While not particularly original or affecting, the story is entertaining, the dialogue is sharp and stars Jack Benny and Ann Sheridan impress with their comedic talents and ease of performance. It may not bring down the house, but 'George Washington Slept Here' will surely leave a few rolling in the aisles.

Percy Kilbride shows up often on Jack Benny's radio show, particular those broadcast during World War II. His deadpan delivery always had the cast and audience in stitches and it is a real treat to encounter Kilbride in roles as a postal official or delivery man, bent on enforcing the "rules" much to the chagrin of Benny, and his sidekicks. Later, as Pa Kettle, Kilbride enjoyed his greatest success. Any fan of Jack Benny and anyone who has access to Benny's radio shows can benefit from "George Washington Slept Here" because you not only get a good look at the man himself, but in this case you get the extra benefit of seeing Benny and Kilbride reprise, so to speak, their wonderfully workable comedy.

George S. Kauffman & Moss Hart's GEORGE WASHINGTON SLEPT HERE was one of Broadway's most successful comedies of the early 1940s, a bright and witty tale with a slightly Americana tone that World War II audiences found particularly appealing. The film version, sparked up by the completely unexpected chemistry of dry-humored Jack Benny and "Oomph Girl" Ann Sheridan, is every bit as charming.

When New Yorkers Bill and Connie Fuller (Benny and Sheridan) are evicted from their apartment (their third change of address in less than a year), wife Connie decides what they need is a place in the country... and buys an incredibly dilapidated house where George Washington is said to have once slept. Needless to say, husband Bill is horrified--and keeps on being horrified as the price of renovation skyrockets.

Benny was most popular when he played himself in roles tailored to his talents, but although this role is a bit atypical his talents are well suited to the constantly harried Bill Fuller--and he has remarkable rapport with co-star Ann Sheridan, an underestimated actress who shows tremendous flair for comedy as his determinedly optimistic wife. Both are well supported by a cast that includes Charles Coburn, Joyce Reynolds, and Percy Kilbride, and Hattie McDaniel (best remembered as Mammy in GONE WITH THE WIND) really shines as Hester, their long-suffering domestic who finds herself with a hole in the kitchen wall big enough for a horse to walk through--and one does! The pace is snappy, the script is witty, and every one is sure to have a good time. Recommended.

Gary F. Taylor, aka GFT, Amazon Reviewer

This is a better comedy than many reviewers indicate. To appreciate it you have to remember two things - firstly, it was made in 1942, and thus there are quite a few patriotic themes in the movie, since that was the kind of film being made at the beginning of World War II, when the U.S. didn't yet know if it would be successful fighting a two front war in which everything was at stake. The second thing to remember is that Jack Benny did all of his scenes with Percy Kilbride (later known as Pa Kettle) on days in which he had gotten no sleep the night before. He did this deliberately, because Jack had insisted Kilbride play the part when Jack Warner just wanted to insert one of his contract players. Jack Benny insisted that Kilbride made the play and was thus essential for the movie. Jack Benny got his way, but every time Jack Benny looked at Percy Kilbride when he was shooting the movie he broke into hysterical laughter. When the director threatened to remove Benny if he continued this, then Benny decided to stay up all night before he had any scenes with Kilbride because then he was so exhausted that he just didn't care.

If you're in the mood for a light sweet movie from the 40's with Benny's brand of understated comedy, this certainly fits the bill. Just don't expect Benny the miser of Jack's radio and TV days. This film takes advantage of Benny's comic timing and deadpan delivery of comic observations when confronted by outrageous behavior and situations on all sides, but it is just not a role for a cheapskate.