Make 'Em Laugh (The Funny Business of America)
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Released September 24, 1942
Featuring Moe, Larry and Curly
Featuring Moe, Larry and Curly
Columbia
96.75 min. (Feature Film)
96.75 min. (Feature Film)
Fresh from Columbus OH, writer Ruth Sherwood (Rosalind Russell) and her actress sister Eileen (Janet Blair) arrive in New York City with dreams of success. Renting a Greenwich Village basement "apartment" from the fast-talking and fact-loose Mr. Appopolous (George Tobias), the girls find that life in the big city is a lot tougher than expected. Not helping matters are a series of dynamite blasts rocking the apartment, from a new subway tunnel being built underneath.
Ruth meets Bob Baker, the frustrated editor of The Manhatter trying to stop declining circulation with human interest stories, who thinks Ruth's true-life stories of middle America are what the magazine needs. Meanwhile, Eileen's naive and trusting nature attracts all sorts of eccentrics and opportunists.
Rounding out the story's cast of characters are an out-of-work pro football player (Gordon Jones, of THE A&C SHOW fame) and his newlywed wife as upstairs neighbors, a cynical beat cop (Donald MacBride) who assumes that the sisters are "working girls," and a crew of Portugese merchant marines who create an international incident with Eileen.
Adaptation of the Broadway play, based on the real-life short stories of writer Ruth McKenney.
Second only to the 1963 appearance in IT'S A MAD, MAD, MAD, MAD WORLD, the Stooges' cameo is hilarious and a perfect payoff to a running gag throughout the film.
MY SISTER EILEEN became a 1960 - 1961 television series starring Elaine Stritch, Shirley Bonne and Rose Marie; Joe Besser guest starred in one episode.
Look closely at the Portugese sailors and you will see Kirk Alyn, several years before he played Superman in two successful Columbia serials.
The Stooges' closing gag appearance was originally intended for a young Forrest Tucker, credited as 'Sandhog' in the dropped scene.
Avg. Rating: 
[7.75/10]
[7.75/10]
Rosalind Russell
Ruth Sherwood
Janet Blair
Eileen Sherwood
Grant Mitchell
Walter Sherwood
Elizabeth Patterson
Grandma Sherwood
George Tobias
Mr. Appopolous
Frank Sully
Jenson
Donald MacBride
Officer Lonigan
Allyn Joslyn
Chic Clark
Clyde Fillmore
Ralph Craven
Brian Aherne
Bob Baker
Gordon Jones
Wreck Loomis
Jeff Donnell
Helen Loomis
Richard Quine
Frank Lippincott
Minna Phillips
Mrs. Wade
June Havoc
Effie Shelton
Arnold Stang
Jimmy, copyboy
Frank McLure
Newspaperman
Charles Halton
Mr. Hawkins
Lewis Howard
Heller, stage manager
Phyllis Kennedy
Annie Wilkerson
Robert Stevens
Harvey, bus driver
Dudley Dickerson
Redcap
Richard Bartell
Flirt in bus depot
Jack Gardner
Bus passenger
Bert Roach
Pete, the drunk
Don Barclay
2nd drunk
Ann Doran
Wallace's receptionist
Ted Lorch
Man outside Wallace's office
George Gray
Man outside Wallace's office
Peggy Converse
Craven's receptionist
Sam Harris
Man in Craven's office
Armand Wright
Strawberry vendor
Chick Chandler
Air Raid Warden
Adia Kuznetzoff
Cossack doorman
Brooks Benedict
Taxi driver
Gino Corrado
Italian chef
Eddie Laughton
Double-decker bus passenger
Hallene Hill
Double-decker bus passenger
George Travell
Portugese sailor
Chavo de Leon
Portugese sailor
George Adrian
Portugese sailor
Tito Renaldo
Portugese sailor
Tom Lincir
Portugese sailor
Kirk Alyn
Portugese sailor
Robert Elliott
Police Sergeant
Pat Lane
Policeman
Ralph Dunn
Officer Griswold
Edward Gargan
Officer Murphy
Walter Sande
Officer Jackson
Charles LaTorre
Captain Amadato
Jerry Howard
Subway worker
Moe Howard
Subway worker
Larry Fine
Subway worker
Douglas Leavitt
Henry Harvey, scene deleted
Almira Sessions
Prospective tenant, scene deleted
Forrest Tucker
Sandhog, scene deleted
Unidentified MY SISTER EILEEN 1
Newspaper staff
Unidentified MY SISTER EILEEN 2
Theater cast & crew
Unidentified MY SISTER EILEEN 3
Bus terminal
Unidentified MY SISTER EILEEN 4
Hot dog vendor
Unidentified MY SISTER EILEEN 5
Mrs. McGillicuddy
Unidentified MY SISTER EILEEN 6
Organ grinder
Unidentified MY SISTER EILEEN 7
Talent agency
Unidentified MY SISTER EILEEN 8
Magazine office
Unidentified MY SISTER EILEEN 9
Italian restaurant
Unidentified MY SISTER EILEEN 10
Bus passenger
Unidentified MY SISTER EILEEN 12
Policemen
Unidentified MY SISTER EILEEN 13
Neighborhood
Alexander Hall
Director
Max Gordon
Producer
Ruth McKenney
Original Stories
Jerome Chodorov
Screenplay
Joseph Fields
Screenplay
Joseph Fields
Original Play
Jerome Chodorov
Original Play
Joseph Walker
Director of Photography
Viola Lawrence
Film Editor
Lionel Banks
Art Director
Cary Odell
Associate Art Director
Fay Babcock
Interior Decorator
Morris W. Stoloff
Musical Director
Sidney Cutner
Original Music
William Mull
Assistant Director
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