MY SISTER EILEEN
US, 1942, 96 minutes, Black and white.
Rosalind Russell, Brian Aherne, Janet Blair, George Tobias, Allyn Joslyn, Grant Mitchell, Gordon Jones, Elizabeth Patterson, Richard Quine, June Havoc, Donald Mac Bride, Jeff Donnell.
Directed by Alexander Hall.
Ruth McKinney? wrote a series of stories about her family, her sister Eileen, an aspiring actress, and what happened to them when they moved to New York City. The stories were adapted as a play for Broadway, My Sister Eileen.
While this is in the tradition of screwball comedy, the screenplay seems to rely strongly on the play and its structure and the confining of a lot of the action to particular sets, especially the downstairs apartment where the two sisters live. The film is also strong on dialogue, especially of the deadpan kind with its irony, delivered by Rosalind Russell in an Oscar-nominated performance as Ruth. Janet Blair is all vivacity and flirtatious this as Eileen.
There is a strong supporting cast with George Tobias as the eccentrically smooth-talking landlord who also paints. Brian Aherne is very serious as the editor who supports Ruth. Allyn Joslyn is a fast-talking newspaper man while Richard Quine works with some dignity at a diner. June Havoc turns up in a small role as a medium. Gordon Jones is a football player who irons but who doesn’t do washing because that is women’s work, with Jeff Donnell as his wife. Donald Mac Bride is the sardonic local policeman urging them all to move, while Grant Mitchell is the father and Elizabeth Patterson as their very affirming and rather endearing grandmother.
The stories were turned into a Broadway musical, Wonderful Town, music by Leonard Bernstein, with Rosalind Russell winning a Tony award. Richard Quine, who had appeared in the play and the first film, directed a musical version in 1955 with Betty Garrett in the Rosalind Russell role, Janet Lee as Eileen, Jack Lemmon as the publisher and guest performances with song and dance and verve by Bob Fossey and Tommy Rall as Eileen’s suitors.
Enjoyable in itself, though it often seems rather forced, even strained, with the added attraction of Rosalind Russell’s performance – the 1955 version seems more enjoyable.
And who would have expected the Three Stooges to suddenly appear at the end?
1. A popular comedy based on original articles and a Broadway play? Popularity in the early 1940s?
2. The tradition of the screwball comedy, fast-paced, farcical situations, strong characters and interactions? This version as rather stage bound, especially in the apartment? The reliance on dialogue? The musical score?
3. The performances, the very strong cast?
4. Columbus Ohio, the Sherwood sisters, their strict father, not wanting them to leave home, the very liberal grandmother and her support? Ruth and her writing stories, wanting to go to New York? Writing the review of her sister’s performance before the performance? Eileen, wanting to be an actress, the editor’s daughter taking the role? Her weeping? The decision to go to New York?
5. The relationship between the two sisters, the title and the emphasis on Eileen, the strong character with the emphasis on “my� with Ruth?
6. New York, their luggage, the advertisements, looking for an apartment? The encounter with Mr Appopoulos, his continued talk, the offer, the money, spoken contract, the witnesses? The sisters being tired, staying, the blasting underneath for the subway? Small, the light outside, the people passing by, dog chasing the cat inside?
7. Mr Appopooulos, his art, painting on the street, his exhibition but nobody coming? The Wreck, practising with the body double on the clothesline, his wife, the secret, his mother-in-law coming, staying with the girls, the ambiguities? His doing the ironing? Helen and her jealousy? His having to leave, his getting down the window and the police challenging him? The mother-in-law, haughty, the couple getting married, the new honeymoon?
8. Eileen, going to the producer’s office, pushing forward, Clark and his offering to interview her, his fascination, her happiness? His coming to the house, flirting? Unwelcome with Ruth? The phone call for Ruth to go to the Portuguese sailors in Brooklyn, his turning up to flirt with Ruth? Eileen and Frank, the restaurant, his being proper, the bottle of wine, the blasting splashing the wine over him? The reconciliation with Eileen?
9. Ruth, her manuscript, the encounter with Bob Baker, getting her to speak her mind to Mr Craven? Her disappointment? His coming to the apartment, the discussions with Ruth, talking and interrupted, spaghetti and meatballs, the bus, the walk? Writing a new story? His praise, the contract, Mr Craven not wanting it? Ruth and her disappointment? The phone call to go to Brooklyn, the encounter with the Portuguese sailors, their following her, in the apartment, the conga line, causing the riot, Eileen leading the conga line, the arrest, in prison, Ruth going to see her, Eileen charming the police, staying in jail?
10. Father and grandmother arriving, father wanting them to go back to Columbus? His being shocked with all the goings on? And the policeman giving the knowing nod as if the father was a guest?
11. Effie, reading palms, her clients turning up, have been carried in, later arrival and her indiscretion about The Wreck and Helen?
12. The Portuguese, the apology, the metal for Eileen? Bob Baker arriving, Ruth disappointed that Eileen was flirting with him? Eileen’s realisation? The packing to go home, the change of heart?
13. Bob, the cheque, the success of the story, the magazine? Eileen and her self-focus?
14. Mr Appopoulos, persuading them to stay, six months? And the drilling beginning – and the Three Stooges drilling into the apartment?
