Cinema Revisted: George Washington Slept Here (1942)
Directed by William Keighley. Cast: Jack Benny, Ann Sheridan, Percy Kilbride, Joyce Reynolds, William Tracy, Charles Coburn, Douglas Croft, Charles Dingle, Franklin Pangborn, Hattie McDaniel, Lee Patrick, Douglas Croft. Released November 28, 1942. Running time: 93 minutes.
Research would have to be conducted in order to discover how many films have been made about people trying to fix up a rundown house to make it livable. This film version of George Kaufman and Moss Hart’s play is a pleasantly diverting use of that premise.
Ann Sheridan plays a wife who buys the run down house, much to the chagrin of her husband, portrayed by Jack Benny. Along with the troubles encountered in the rebuilding of the house, they have a neighbor who insists he owns the road, forcing Jack to drive through the woods. There is a handyman who accomplishes little in his quest to find a way to provide indoor plumbing, a disgruntled maid who is unhappy with not having any conveniences in the kitchen, a pretentious visiting uncle, and a bratty visiting kid. From this premise and these characters, the sharp witty dialog of the writers results in a good movie version of a popular Broadway play.
While the premise and situations are familiar, there is a consistently pleasant manner to the film, and the characters are delightful. Percy Kilbride is the only actor who repeats his role from the Broadway play as the handyman. Ann Sheridan, who always welcomed opportunities to do comedy, is typically appealing, and Joyce Reynolds (still living at the time of this writing) exhibits a perky cuteness. Charles Coburn is a welcome anchor to the proceedings as a supposedly rich uncle who reveals he really has no money at all. Hattie McDaniel’s comic frustration as the maid, Douglas Croft as a bratty kid, and Charles Dingle as the annoying property-owning neighbor all contribute effectively.
Percy Kilbride’s appearance is especially notable. Jack Warner believed that there were plenty of character actors under contract to Warner Brothers that could have played the handyman, but Jack Benny’s insistence on using Kilbride from the Broadway play won out. Kilbride had done a couple of random small bits in movies but always considered this his film debut. His deadpan delivery almost steals the movie, and is easily the portent to the Pa Kettle character that would later define his acting career. It was reported that Benny and Ann Sheridan kept ruining takes due to laughing at Kilbride’s performance, and almost made the movie go over budget.
Another interesting bit of trivia regarding the film version of “George Washington Slept Here” is that it redoes a portion of the original play in order to work better for its stars. In the play, it is the husband who buys the shack of a house, and the wife who must go along with the plan. In the movie, it is switched to the wife, so Benny could at least partially play off of the miser character he had established on radio. Benny enjoyed movies because it allowed him to play a role beyond this character, even when elements were utilized. He would later make fun of his movie career, but he does quite well in each of his films.
The Cary Grant-Myrna Loy feature “Mr. Blandings Builds His Dream House” (1947) is probably a superior movie using this premise. However, “George Washington Slept Here” is a pleasant diversion with good writing, and classic stars. It holds up quite well in the 21st century.