Bantering Ballyhoo! (Selling W. C. Fields to 20th Century America)
MY SISTER EILEEN (1942)
Film Pick of the Day
Wednesday, October 28, 2026
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.
Details
Average Rating:   [ 7.75/10 ] 4 votes |
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| Featuring | Moe, Larry and Curly |
|---|---|
| Release Date | Thursday, September 24, 1942 |
| Studio | Columbia |
| Production Type | Feature Film |
| Duration | 96.75 min. |
