THREE GUYS NAMED MIKE
US, 1951, 90 minutes, Black and white.
Jane Wyman, Van Johnson, Howard Keel, Barry Sullivan, Phyllis Kirk, Jeff Donnell, Barbara Billingsley.
Directed by Charles Walters.
Three Guys Named Mike is one of those light MGM comedies, sometimes as supports to their major features, during the 1950s. it gave continued employment to stars and directors between their big-budget main features. Van Johnson had been at MGM for quite some years and was one of the top stars (hence getting the girl, perhaps). Howard Keel had appeared in Annie Get Your Gun and was about to appear in many top MGM musicals. Barry Sullivan was a regular character actor at MGM. Jane Wyman had worked for Warner Brothers but freelanced during the 1950s – and was to appear with Van Johnson in Miracle in the Rain.
Charles Walters was a choreographer who went on to direct many of the musicals at MGM and then a number of the light comedies.
1. A light MGM comedy, romance of the early 1950s? Story, stars, the director and his career in comedies and musicals?
2. Indiana, Los Angeles, the American cities, the musical score?
3. Marci, Jane Wyman and her comic touch, an achiever, her parents, had being full of ideas, at home, packing, her wanting to be in aviation? advised by her father to say “yes, sir”, her father’s injunction, almost not getting the job, expanding and impressing the interviewer?
4. Stewardesses, assembling, the training, the dawn, friendships? And the touch of superiority of men, pilots, as the women did the more domestic jobs?
5. The status of aviation in 1951, half a century of flight, American Airlines, the planes, interiors, the pilots and control, air control? American Airlines?
6. Marci, enthusiasm, her first flight, the breakdown, Mike picking up, her incessant talk, pilots as chauffeurs, going to the plane, greeting people, the fiasco of forgetting the food, the return, the passengers like an Marci and effusively thanking her, Mike and his initial dislike, intervening with the boss, Marci not being fired?
7. In LA, the other girls, sharing, talking?
8. The flight with Mike, his reading, not noticing Marci, the little girl, her dog, his talk about astronomy and the stars? Finding him in the bar, his explanation? Marci’s interest, attraction? Mike as a research student, at the lab, with his professor, the experiment and the luminescence? His prospects of scholarship, teaching?
9. The breakdown, Mike and pushing, inviting Marci to dinner, full of ideas, his not wanting her to talk about business, suggesting writing the letter? Marci and her writing, the success of her idea, the discussions with the advertising department, with the boss, airlines and soap? The advertising campaign, photos of the various flight attendants? Marci as the first?
10. The house, moving, the three Mikes helping, having to go to the airport, their reactions, leaving, Mike the student, returning, helping, going out with her?
11. The party, Marci and the invitation of the photographer, his setting her up, the three Mikes coming, the brawl, each of them being fired? Marci in the sarong? Her going to each of the employers, her speech for their not being fired? Success?
12. Mike the pilot, sharing his vision, wanting to share his life, painting a future so well? Mike the advertiser, his sharing a vision of the future?
13. Mike the student, awkward, winning Marci over, and happy future?
