Tom, Dick and Harry (1941 film)

Tom, Dick and Harry is a 1941 American comedy film directed by Garson Kanin and starring Ginger Rogers, George Murphy, Alan Marshal, Phil Silvers, and Burgess Meredith.[2] It was produced and released by RKO Radio Pictures. The screen play written by Paul Jarrico, Rogers was working on the film when she was awarded the Oscar as Best Actress for her 1940 performance in Kitty Foyle. It was her first film released after her Oscar win. It was remade as The Girl Most Likely (1957), a musical which was also the last film released by RKO.

Tom, Dick and Harry
Directed byGarson Kanin
Written byPaul Jarrico
Produced byRobert Sisk
StarringGinger Rogers
George Murphy
Alan Marshal
Burgess Meredith
CinematographyMerritt Gerstad
Edited byJohn Sturges
Music byRoy Webb
Production
company
Distributed byRKO Radio Pictures
Release date
  • June 13, 1941 (1941-06-13)
Running time
87 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Budget$806,000[1]
Box office$1,628,000[1]

Plot

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Janie (Ginger Rogers) is a telephone operator and a daydreamer. Her fondest wish is to land a rich husband. She has a boyfriend, Tom (George Murphy), a car salesman, who wants to get married, which results in Janie dreaming about what their life together would be like.

Listening in on a long-distance phone call between the wealthiest eligible bachelor in town, Dick Hamilton (Alan Marshal), and the girl Dick has been dating, Janie makes a wish that she could meet him. When an expensive car pulls alongside her that instant, Janie takes it as her wish being granted. Turns out it is garage mechanic Harry (Burgess Meredith), driving it to be repaired.

Harry is immediately smitten. He spends time with Janie, kisses her and proposes marriage. Janie's head is spinning and she daydreams about being a mechanic's wife.

Disconnecting a call, Janie causes a quarrel between Dick and his girl. She ends up meeting Dick and falling for him. Tom and Harry are waiting for her, leading Janie to declare that she's engaged to all three. A dream of being Dick's wealthy wife causes her to choose him, but at the last minute, a kiss from Harry changes her mind one last time.

Cast

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Reception

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The film earned a profit of $234,000.[1] On Rotten Tomatoes, the film has an aggregate score of 100% based on 5 critic reviews.[3]

References

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  1. ^ a b c Richard Jewel, 'RKO Film Grosses: 1931–1951', Historical Journal of Film, Radio and Television, Vol 14 No 1, 1994 p56
  2. ^ Fetrow p.530
  3. ^ "Tom, Dick and Harry". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved November 13, 2022.

Bibliography

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  • Fetrow, Alan G. Feature Films, 1940-1949: a United States Filmography. McFarland, 1994.
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