User reviews

This is a silly movie, to the point that Ginger Rogers' character blurts out "This is Ridiculous!" at one point close to the end. But it also has the self awareness to not take things too far. Rather it brings things to the brink of absurdity and stops just before going off the cliff. Rogers' performance is solid as the clueless Janie who must decide between three suitors. Murphy, Marshal, and Meredith turn in good performances as well as their respective characters Tom, Dick, and Harry. Meredith, as Harry, stands out among the three. The plot also revolves around the whirlwind courtship and marriage theme that is common in wartime movies. Viewers looking for a heavier more realistic romance should look to something like Roger's 1944 movie "I'll be Seeing You" where she plays a completely different character. But if you're in the mood for a whimsical, light-hearted hearted comedy to take your mind off the news, you could do much worse than Tom, Dick, and Harry.

TOM DICK AND HARRY gives Ginger Rogers another chance to play an infantile woman (remember THE MAJOR AND THE MINOR, MONKEY BUSINESS and IT HAD TO BE YOU). It's a screwball comedy so it works (to a degree) but she sort of overdoes the job of making this girl a complete dumb-dumb. So, in the end, she makes the right choice when she must choose between three suitors.

She has to decide whether to marry a poor, down-on-his-luck bohemian (BURGESS MEREDITH), a wealthy playboy millionaire (ALAN MARSHAL), or a conservative square (GEORGE MURPHY). Considering that she has no brains whatsoever, she chooses--well, you have to see the movie to find out.

The cute ending provides an original twist to a decidedly unoriginal story which gets a boost from its personable cast. Rogers is delightful enough when she isn't being a bit irritating with her baby-voiced coyness, and the men are splendid as her bewildered suitors. Alan Marshal is much livelier than usual in his playboy role--so much so that you have to wonder why Hollywood didn't find better roles for him as a romantic lead.

Ginger's fans will love this one--but I couldn't help thinking she played it a little too dumb at times.

Summing up: A screwball comedy that could have used a brighter script but the dream sequences are well done, thanks to director Garson Canin's way with wacky comedy.

There are so many great films in the comedy, romance and fantasy genres individually and there are some great ones that combine all three. It is interesting when any film combines all three, and luckily the three do gel well together and when done well the effect is not tonally muddled or disjointed. Another interest point was seeing Ginger Rogers, most famous for her legendary dance partnership with Fred Astaire, in one of her non-dancing roles.

While falling short of being a great film, 'Tom, Dick and Harry' did entertain and charm me as an overall whole. Much more so than the simplistic title indicates. Not everything comes off well, with one problem being major enough sadly to stop me from getting fully invested in the film. The reason for the above average rating though is because there are a lot of good things in 'Tom, Dick and Harry', and those good things manage to be so good.

Am going to begin with what doesn't quite work. One doesn't really see this type of film for their stories, where one expects them to be lacking in surprises, very flimsy and with contrivances and silliness overkill. 'Tom, Dick and Harry' is no exception, with pretty much all of those things. Plus an ending that wraps things up too neatly.

More problematic though is that one never fully warms to the lead character, and we are talking about the character and not Rogers, a very unsubtle one and difficult to empathise with, at times we are even irritated. Consequently, it is neither fully easy to invest in the relationships or what her final decision and reasoning are.

However, there is a lot to enjoy still. Despite having problems with the character, Rogers herself is actually marvellous, throwing herself into the role with sparkling comic timing and forthright commitment while injecting some charm. The male characters could have done with more development perhaps, but the titular characters are all well played. Especially Burgess Meredith as Harry. A pleasant surprise too was how Phil Silvers managed to make an obnoxious character amusing and surprisingly endearing, two words that usually don't belong in the same sentence as that. The direction has energy and the right lightness of touch and doesn't feel heavy or static.

It looks very nice as a film, especially Rogers' clothes (which she looks stunning in) and the imaginative photography in the enchanting and wonderfully weird dream sequences. The music fits well tonally and doesn't intrude. Throughout the dialogue sparkles in its wit and there are more than a fair share of funny, if not quite hilarious, moments that come rolling fast. The story is very flawed, but at least it didn't feel dull or strained to me and had a nice light on the feet energy.

On the whole, not great but pretty entertaining in its own way. 6/10

The expression "Tom, Dick and Harry" is a commonly-used colloquialism in English, meaning "everybody" or "anybody", but this film is about three men who just happen to have those names. The main character is Janie, a young woman who works in a telephone exchange and who has the sort of obliging personality which means she just can't say "no" to anybody, especially a good-looking young man. So it happens that she ends up engaged to three men from three different social backgrounds at the same time, middle-class car salesman Tom, working-class garage mechanic Harry and upper-class Dick, the son of the local millionaire. All three are young and good-looking, but all have their drawbacks; Tom is a bit too staid and conservative, Harry a bit too eccentric and Dick a bit too smooth and slick.

There's not really a lot more to the plot than that, apart from waiting to see which of the three men Janie will eventually end up marrying. In real life, of course, no woman would ever behave like this unless she were either a heartless flirt or not quite right in the head, but this is a screwball comedy, a film genre which acknowledges the existence of real life but does not consider itself bound by the rules and conventions that prevail there. It is, however, a tribute to Ginger Rogers' comedic talents that she manages to make her character seem not only plausible but also reasonably sympathetic.

Even in 1941 this film was probably not seen as anything more than a light-hearted bit of trivia, although it does manage a serious bit of political comment when a cinema audience are shown booing a newsreel showing Hitler. (The film was made before Pearl Harbor, but Hollywood had declared war on the Third Reich long before Washington followed suit). It is made in the "filmed theatre" style popular for low-budget films of the period- more dialogue than action, most scenes taking place indoors and everything seemingly filmed on one camera with no cross- cutting or tricky camera work. Today it is largely forgotten, but Ginger manages to invest it with enough period charm to make it (just about) worth watching. 6/10

Certainly an adequately charming entertainment, although Ginger - an actor I enjoyed in many of her films - piles on the "barely legal" action a bit too thick, and some of the business with the wealthy part of the trio borders on the unsavory. The domestic bliss dreams are pleasantly looked forward to, and Burgess Meredith is (particularly in the diner scene) surprisingly sprightly and focused, as he advocates the working man's utopia, which must have been close to his Socialist heart. It ain't Noel Coward, and George Murphy is a stump as usual, but all in all, a pleasant enough way to waste a little time.

In the mood for a fun romantic comedy? I recommend "Tom, Dick, and Harry", a golden oldie released by RKO back in 1941.

Janie, a blue-collar chick played by Ginger Rogers, can't decide which guy she wants to marry. And in the course of the story, she has "an understanding" with each of the three title characters. Tom is an ambitious white-collar car salesman (George Murphy); Dick is a millionaire playboy (Alan Marshal); and Harry is a bohemian mechanic (Burgess Meredith).

In amusing dream sequences, Janie imagines what it would be like to be married to each of them. And in one envelope-pushing scene that must have just barely gotten past the censors, she imagines what it would be like to be married to all of them!

If this storyline turned up in a romantic film or novel nowadays, the heroine would obviously have to end up with Dick. But this movie was made in the 1940s. Therefore none of her three suitors is her inevitable choice. And the film demonstrates wonderfully how the heart knows best, even if it can be full of surprises.

Telephone switchboard operator Janie (Ginger Rogers) dates various men and dreams of a traditional successful marriage. Tom (George Murphy) is a car salesman. Dick (Alan Marshal) is a rich bachelor. Harry (Burgess Meredith) is a garage mechanic.

Tom, Dick and Harry is a common phrase that writers often use to write a story around. It's like painting a picture from the feet up. It doesn't make it bad, but it is a bit of manufacturing. In this case, I'm not loving Janie going with each one of these characters. It's a girl chasing marriage and that's a bit dated. I never find it romantic since the guys often come second to the idea of getting married. It's hard to zero in on one guy. Mostly, I'm not finding it that funny. I don't hate it either. Ginger Rogers keeps it sweet. It did get an Oscar nomination for writing.

This is one of Ginger Rogers best films of all time. Here we see her trying to find the man of her dreams. She thinks she knows what she wants but does she really?? One by one she runs into these three men who are each special to her in their own way, but she must decide on which one of them she wants to live her life with. The dream sequences are very funny and add to the sheer joy of the film. You'll love the ending!

This film gives us three killer performances, Rogers of course, George Murphy and Burgess Meredith. The others actors are good as well. This is a funny heart warming movie that doesn't disappoint. If you have a chance to see or get this movie, DO IT!!

Ginger Rogers (Janie) has a steady boyfriend in salesman George Murphy (Tom). He's a salesman that loves his job of ripping people off. This personality type still exists today and we sometimes use the collective noun "arsehole" to describe these people. He proposes to her and she accepts. However, she meets Burgess Meredith (Harry) and goes on a date with him thinking that he is rich. He isn't but she also manages to become engaged once more. She's now engaged to 2 men - what is she to do? Well, she goes and gets herself engaged to a 3rd man of course - Alan Marshal (Dick). He's a millionaire and a bit dull if you ask me. Anyway, Ginger Rogers now has to come to a decision and pick one of these three contenders.......who will it be...?

Unfortunately, this film is boring. There are flashes of humour, eg, the scene building up to the point where Murphy drops Meredith and Rogers off at a 'Lover's Lane' having just discovered that he's being cheated on, and the occasional line of dialogue as delivered by Meredith and Marshall is quite funny, eg, Meredith displaying complete joy at losing his job. Another amusing moment occurs when Meredith discovers that although a car that he is looking at is priced at $598, it will actually cost him $1,107 if he wants to buy it. Nothing different to today's deals then.

The cast are OK but we get an irritating Phil Silvers (Phil) as an ice-cream seller who proudly plays his obnoxious self and Lenore Lonergan (Butch) who plays Ginger's younger sister in that typically unfunny 'younger sister knows best' style of comedy.

You will want to know who Ginger picks so there is a slight degree of tension to the ending and it ends well. However, most of the story is just blurb and uninteresting with annoying dream-like segments that drag on.

Ginger Rogers plays Janie, a girl who is not only incredibly beautiful (even as a brunette), sweet and charming. But a girl who has three of the lovliest men after her, She must choose between a millionaire, a car salesman and a mechanic, you'll never guess who wins. This film is filled with fun and sentiment from start to finish, Ginger is great as ever but she has her film stolen from her by the lovely and charming Burgess Meredith. Meredith is the strange mechanic, who loves nothing more than fun except Janie and will do anything to get either.

George Murphy is good in an early role as the car salesman and when He has to drive "prospective buyer" Harry (Meredith) and Janie to a lovers point the screen fills with anger. Dick is the millionaire and he remains pretty anonymous, with little charachterisation by alan marshall.

Overall this film is hopelessly enjoyable and hard to dislike

Although the film begins with some cute opening credits, after a while I really grew to dislike this film. It's actually pretty amazing that Ginger Rogers was cast in this lightweight film, as during the production she won the Best Actress Oscar for "Kitty Foyle"--and frankly, "Tom, Dick and Harry" just isn't in the same league as the wonderful "Kitty Foyle". The reasons I disliked the movie is that it tried too hard and it had a main character that just seemed selfish, stupid and annoying.

When the film begins, Ginger is dating the very conservative and reliable Tom (George Murphy). There isn't a lot of excitement in this relationship and oddly Ginger still agrees to marry him when he asks. Soon, she meets Harry (Burgess Meredith) and agrees to go out with him only because she thinks he's rich--though he's not. So, she's already engaged to one guy and then chases another just for money....what a jerk. Then, when she really meets a rich guy, Dick (Alan Marshall), she throws herself at him--and destroys his relationship with another woman just so she can have a chance at him. In the end, she's engaged to all three--and yet all three stand by and wait for her to decide which one to marry. I say all three should have dumped the and conniving Rogers--but sadly the film did not end that way. If it had, I really would have enjoyed it much more. But, As Rogers' character was so selfish and often talked like a child, I just wanted her to shut up and go away. Although well made, the writing and Rogers' acting made this acceptable entertainment and nothing more.

By the way, some might like the film's often cartoony look--such as the dream sequences. I wasn't that impressed. Take my advice--see "Kitty Foyle" instead--it's a dandy movie and proved Ginger COULD act.

Silly film starring Ginger Rogers, along with George Murphy, Burgess Meredith, and Alan Curtis.

Rogers is Janie, a telephone operator with her head in the clouds. She accepts a marriage proposal from Tom (George Murphy), but you can tell she isn't 100 percent sure.

The next day, she sees a man, Harry (Meredith) driving a big fancy car. She believes he is the son of a wealthy man in town. She jumps into the car, not realizing he's a mechanic delivering the car to its owner. He asks her on a date for later that evening.

On the date, Janie finds out Harry is broke and doesn't care. However, every time they kiss, they both hear bells. He proposes.

Finally, though being told she's out of his league, she finally does meet Dick, the son of the richest man in town, who flies her to Chicago in his private plane. And proposes. She decides that this is the life she wants. But when all three are on her doorstep, she realizes she needs to make a decision.

Hard to believe this was directed by Garson Kanin. It has very little to recommend it. Rogers could play anything, but the character of Janie was just a little too out there for me.

Nice cameo by Phil Silvers.

In fact everyone is at the top of their form in this wonderfully entertaining movie, but Ginger has never been better. Even Alan Marshall, who frequently came across in films as being a little on the smarmy side, is quite likeable here. And Phil Silvers is wonderfully obnoxious as the ice-cream salesman.

It is interesting to compare this film with it's 1957 remake "The Girl Most Likely", which apart from its musical numbers sticks pretty close to the original. Now "The Girl Most Likely" is quite an entertaining film in itself, and Jane Powell is certainly a talent not to be sneezed at. But having seen both films a number of times it always surprises me just how much better "Tom, Dick and Harry" is, and how flat "The Girl Most Likely" seems in comparison. Garson Kanin has somehow managed to infuse a lightness and subtlety of wit into the original which seems to have eluded Mitchell Leisen in the remake. And of course the three male leads in "The Girl Most Likely" don't hold a candle to the three male leads here.

-- Is it just basically awful? I am inclined to think the latter.

The Surrealistic dream sequences may have come from German Expressionist movies. The translation, if so, was a bad one. And the split- screen may have come via Gance's "Napoleon." In any event, to me this movie is singularly lacking in charm. Brunette Rogers plays a self-absorbed operator. The title characters are men who woo her, or whom she woos. George Murphy plays a gauche car salesman. Burgess Meredith is a dreamer with a negligible job. And Marshall is a millionaire.

The whole affair is overly precious without being at all likable.

I love movies from the 40's, enjoy Ginger Rogers in both musical and straight roles (Kitty Foyle, Bachelor Mother), and romantic comedies are a favorite way to relax in the evening. This movie was bad. I am working through the AFI list, and had looked forward to this light hearted comedy.

The acting was fine, as each character was played perfectly, right down to the irritating ice cream man and little sister. But there was barely enough plot to fill out a 30 minute TV episode. The premise was OK, but it took me 3 fidgety nights to just sit through it. And what were surely attempts at zany plot twists in the 40's seemed to be just unending repetition. This is definitely not "bringing up baby" or even in the same league.

Sorry.

Just in case you think that Hollywood never made horrible movies during the Golden Age, this one comes along to set the record straight.

Although I love Ginger Rogers with Fred Astaire, she clearly thought of herself as a more versatile actress. While I have not seen her in her dramatic role for Kitty Foyle, as a comedienne (here, and in Monkey Business), she is horrible acting like a giggling teenager.

She plays a telephone operator who is being pursued for marriage by three different guys. Tom is a stable, hardworking guy, but she doesn't really love him. Harry is a "what me worry" type whose kiss does cause her to hear bells! Finally, Dick is the proverbial movie millionaire.

Each guy gets his own "fantasy sequence" when Ginger tries to imagine what life would be like with them.

Overall, this is just a stupid movie. Lots of blame accrues to the script, which is extremely lame.

Don't blame me if you rent this one anyway!

Ginger Rogers could act, sing, dance, you name it. She did get her just desserts, unlike several other gifted performers of the period such as Cary Grant, with an Academy Award for "Kitty Foyle." "Tom Dick and Harry" was Ginger's next picture following her award winning performance. Perhaps that is why it is not so well known today, because it fell in the shadow of "Kitty Foyle." Too bad for this is definitely a winner in all departments. The delicious dream sequences are like no others, not even those by Salvador Dali for Hitchcock's "Spellbound." Not only are they surreal but they are also hilarious.

As the title indicates, Janie (Ginger) must decide among three suitors, Tom, Dick, and Harry, each having asked her to marry him. Tom is the ambitious one, Dick the rich one, and Harry the lovable deadbeat. There is even a very racy part where all three disrobe and are about to jump into bed with her. The audience can tell my the look on Janie's face that this idea certainly appeals to her. But, alas, she must put a stop to the fun before the blessed event actually takes place (This is 1941 remember). The viewer may be a bit surprised with her final choice among Tom, Dick, and Harry at the end of the movie. One reason this all works is not only because of the talent before the camera but also because of the talent behind the camera. The director Garson Kanin was one of the most successful and capable directors and later writers of screwball comedies to come out of Hollywood. He would later help write the script for the Tracy and Hepburn classic "Adam's Rib."

Phil Silvers has a funny cameo on lover's land (Inspiration Point)where he is trying to sell ice cream to all the young lovers parked there by the "No Parking" sign. You can imagine how much success he has.

Ginger plays the role of Janie a telephone operator. Her performance in "Tom Dick and Harry" inspired the creation of Ernestine the Operator by Lily Tomlin. So the fun continues. Also George Murphy who plays Tom tells Janie in a dream sequence that he has been promoted to the office of President. She replies, "You've already told me that." Tom retorts, "No, not president of the company. President of the United States." This was considered just a funny line at the time. It is now ironic that later in real life Murphy was elected Congressman and became the inspiration for Ronald Reagan to enter politics.

Bouncy comedy making good use of visual techniques—split screen, dream fadeout, trick photography (the shrunken kids). These blend in seamlessly, adding to the appeal of what might come next. It's also an utterly charming turn from Rogers, and it better be since she has to bridge the distinct segments. There's salesman Tom (Murphy), rich guy Dick (Marshall), and workingman Harry (Meredith). So which will Janie (Rogers) marry. She dates each in turn and each proposes marriage. But what would married life be like with them. Her engaging dream scenes of what that would be like are grabbers, and in my book, the movie's highlight. And since each of the three represents a different economic class, more's at stake in her choice than an ultimate heart's desire. Then too, catch the point that true love is a matter of involuntary chemistry whatever one's romantic ideals or dreams.

It's Hollywood professionals hitting on all eight, from screenplay to acting to directing. I especially chuckled poignantly at Tom's salesmanship as he casually includes the add-on's that a new car will cost workingman Harry. The price almost doubles, Ouch! But Tom does it in such smooth fashion it's hardly noticeable. Anyway, Rogers is utterly winning as a telephone operator (catch the old style hook-ups) who can't make up her mind. In my little book, the movie's a sleeper that slides along effortlessly while the chuckles flow.

(In passing—can't help noticing presence of opposite sides of the 1950's blacklisting controversy. Murphy and Rogers were both active proponents of Hollywood political purges, while Meredith and screenwriter Jarrico were blacklisted for their leftist associations. In fact, the movie's outcome might be surmised from Jarrico's political preference. See if you agree.)

"Tom Dick and Harry" is one of the few films I've watched on DVD that I turned off about two-thirds of the way through. I went about doing something else and only returned to the film the next night to finish it. It truly was that boring. I've read the reviews of others. They seem split on liking and disliking this film. Some who enjoyed it saw it as screwball, but it doesn't come close – at least to the definition of screwball. The biggest thing it's missing is the laughter.

Some people may have found some warm humor in it because of Ginger Rogers's character, Janie. But where are the funny, witty lines? The script seems devoid of any clever dialog. The plot is simple and had possibilities. But, instead of clever dialog with some snappy and funny lines and situations, it has a plot that simply plods along. The character of Janie seems to be in a trance through most of the film – with considerable alcohol added toward the end.

The movie came out in June 1941. Europe was at war but the U.S. hadn't entered it yet. The economy had begun substantial recovery the year before, somewhat due to the war overseas. And, America was just coming out of a long depression and recovering from the Dust Bowl in the Plains States and Southwest. So, some audiences may have liked dreamy, fluffy stuff like this. Perhaps girls and young women enjoyed it most. If so, I doubt that that rapture lasted very long.

The only reason I give it four stars is for the cast and the credible performances of all. Rogers was OK in her near constant dreamy state, with few lines of any significance or humor. But this film has to rank toward the bottom of her movie repertoire. Burgess Meredith was good in his role as Harry. George Murphy was very good as Tom, and Alan Marshal was good as Dick.

I don't mind movies that are mostly fluff – if they have some entertainment value in music, song, dance or comedy. Unfortunately, "Tom Dick and Harry" has none of these. It's an easy movie to forget.

"Tom Dick and Harry", a delightful screwball comedy, features Ginger Rogers sans singing and tapping. Rogers is cast as a telephone operator living with family and the eldest of two daughters. At first she seems a bit mature for the role but turns in a good performance as the comedy and surrealistic sequences become increasingly engaging along with the social-commentary subtext of traveling in various social circles to supplement the plot: Rogers on a whirlwind-whim steps out of an unfulfilling job and pursues an ultimate soulmate/marriage/happiness. Some scenes surprisingly echo "The Philadelphia Story" (1940) in an inverted economic pearls-at-a-price manner: after an evening of mayhem lasts into wee-morning hours and before the "life-altering" event, an ultimate awakening dawns upon working-class Rogers similar to high-society Hepburn. Also, similar to TPS, TD&H has the wisecracking-realistic younger sister balancing the impulsive older sister Rogers; the supporting cast delivering the sideshow goods; and viewers getting the surprise-ending treat. Trivial tidbit: Lenore Lonergan, (the younger sister "Butch" to Rogers's "Janie" in TD&H), is cast in the original Broadway version of TPS as the younger sister "Dinah" to Hepburn's "Tracy", (however in the film version of TPS, Virginia Weidler plays the younger sister "Dinah" part).

This movie is a mystery to me.

It's full of talented individuals:

Garson Kanin, the director

Paul Jerrico, the writer

Ginger Rogers, who had just won a Best Actress Academy Award for Kitty Foyle and been lots of fun in all those movies with Astaire for RKO.

Two fine supporting men: Burgess Meredith, who did very good work in lots of movies, and George Murphy, who danced with some of the finest in first-string musicals.

Yet despite all this talent, the script here is really embarrassing and the direction and performance of it not much better. I understand how the studio system worked, but why did RKO put Rogers, one of their top stars and money-makers - all those musicals with Astaire in the 1930s - in this turkey?

And why didn't they get a script doctor to put at least a few laughs into this laughless script???

Alan Marshal, the third male lead, had proved in movie after movie that while he was handsome, he had no acting talent and absolutely no sex appeal. He was probably in this to fulfill contractual obligations and there was nothing to be done about that.

But Meredith and Murphy, not to mention Rogers, could have done so much more with an even half-way decent script, which this is not.

As I started off by saying, many of the 33 previous reviewers found things to like here. I couldn't, and I like these performers. Maybe you will have better luck.

Silly comedy, especially its dream sequences, that will make you wonder how Ginger Rogers earned a Best Actress Oscar (in her film that directly preceded this one, Kitty Foyle (1940)). Bo Derek must have watched this film to learn how to "act" (e.g. demurely chewing a pinkie finger in her mouth to show that her character's "thinking"). Thank goodness Rogers redeemed herself the following year in Billy Wilder's directorial debut The Major and the Minor (1942).

Garson Kanin directed this fluff about an air-headed telephone operator (whose vocabulary consists of "swell & golly") that gets engaged to the three titled men simultaneously:

• high achieving, almost workaholic, and unromantic car salesman Tom (George Murphy)

• the millionaire son of a prominent father Dick (Alan Marshal)

• and the only one in her class - auto mechanic Harry (Burgess Meredith), to whom she's "sexually" attracted (bells ring when they kiss).

During the dream sequences, Janie (Rogers) imagines what it would be like to be married to each of the men. One wonders how Paul Jarrico received his only Best Writing - Original Screenplay Oscar nomination; his story's conclusion is both predictable and unsatisfying despite its "twist".

Thirty year old Phil Silvers (already bald and looking much like he did more than 20 years later on television) appears twice as an annoying ice cream vendor at "Inspiration Point"; Joe Cunningham, as Janie's Pop, is the only other actor appearing that had much of a career.

One of Leonard Maltin's few misses (he gives it 3 ½ stars!), it's so dated that it will likely offend most women. Remade as a Mitchell Leisen directed Musical, The Girl Most Likely (1957), with Jane Powell and Cliff Robertson, among others.