Make 'Em Laugh (The Funny Business of America)
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Released December 01, 1959
Featuring Joe Besser (Solo)
Featuring Joe Besser (Solo)
20th Century-Fox
84 min. (Feature Film)
84 min. (Feature Film)
Tommy Noonan receives his draft notice on the day that World War II ends. Overcome with patriotism, he insists that the Army honor its commitment to him, and a Pentagon snafu results in Camp Clyde staying open to conduct Basic Training for one man... Noonan. Drill Sgt. Pete Marshall is engaged to actress Lili Marlene (Julie Newmar), and her publicist Jerry schemes to turn this into a publicity stunt with Lili pretending to fall in love with Pvt. Noonan. Pete reluctantly goes along with Jerry's idea, while scheming with the other Camp Clyde officers and staff to sabotage Noonan's training, so they can finally be discharged and sent home. But schemes backfire, and Marshall finds himself reactivated and ordered to accompany Noonan to a tour of duty in Japan. Lili follows along, and the three manage to find themselves stranded on a Pacific island, with two Japanese soldiers (Noonan & Marshall) who don't know that the war is over.
Joe Besser costars as Camp Clyde's medic.
Filmed in CinemaScope.
Director and co-screenwriter George O'Hanlon is best known for Warner Brothers' Joe McDoakes short subjects, and the voice of 'George Jetson' in Hanna-Barbera's THE JETSONS.
Costar Peter Marshall became the host of THE HOLLYWOOD SQUARES in the 1960s and 1970s.
Julie Newmar became iconic as 'The Catwoman' from BATMAN (1966 - 1967).
Avg. Rating: 
[3.00/10]
[3.00/10]
Peter Marshall
Sgt. Pete Marshall
Tommy Noonan
Pvt. Tommy Noonan
Julie Newmar
Lili Marlene
Peter Marshall
Japanese soldier
Tommy Noonan
Japanese soldier
Jerry Lester
Jerry Mann
Joe Besser
Medic
George Eldredge
Gen. Bechtel
Claude Stroud
Col. Taylor
Norman Leavitt
Major Evers
Herb Armstrong
Lt. Summer
Collette Lyons
Parsons
Pat Goldin
Government official
Glen Vernon
Army chaplain
Robert Nash
Congressman
John Pickard
M.P.
Richard Reeves
M.P.
Larry Chance
Naval M.P.
Mark Houston
Naval M.P.
Ted Stanhope
Draft Board member
Audley Anderson
Draft Board member
Jamie Forster
Draft Board member
Jack Bryan
Draft Board member
Rodney Bell
Pentagon janitor
Vince Barnett
Pentagon janitor
Michael Masters
Athletic instructor
Paul 'Mousie' Garner
Waiter
Don Corey
Cook
Doodles Weaver
Winchell, radio commentator
Patrick O'Moore
Captain Weiss
Frank Mitchell
Ship's Purser
Peter Leeds
Seville Quare
Peggy Maley
Aunt Myrtle
Charles Tannen
Arnold, bartender
Sam Harris
Man on dock
George O'Hanlon
Director
Tommy Noonan
Producer
George O'Hanlon
Screenplay
Tommy Noonan
Screenplay
Floyd Crosby
Director of Photography
Harry W. Gerstad Jr.
Film Editor
Lyle R. Wheeler
Art Director
John Mansbridge
Art Director
Walter M. Scott
Set Decoration
Paul Dunlap
Original Music
William Turner
Makeup
Frank Parmenter
Assistant Director
Harold E. Knox
Production Manager
John Sutton
Script Supervisor
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