My Sister Eileen (1942)

Rosalind Russell and Janet Blair are the Sherwood sisters, who come to New York City to seek their fortune in "My Sister Eileen," a 1942 film directed by Alexander Hall. "My Sister Eileen" was originally a novel by Ruth McKinney that was made into a Broadway play by George S. Kaufman and starring Shirley Booth, later a Broadway musical (also starring Rosalind Russell) called "Wonderful Town," and then a different musical film, again called "My Sister Eileen." Finally, it was a TV series. I guess Broadway and Hollywood got some mileage out of the novel.The story concerns two sisters from Ohio who wind up living in Greenwich Village on Barrow Street. Ruth needed to leave Ohio; her rave review of her sister Eileen's performance in "A Doll's House" was published, but Eileen didn't play the role that night. The apartment has a few problems, one of which is the nearby subway, another is people who talk to them through the drapeless basement window, and another is the people that either follow the pretty, vivacious Eileen or whom she brings home. Finally, it looks as if Ruth gets a break when the editor of the Manhattaner, Bob Baker (Brian Aherne), likes her writing.This is a really sweet comedy, and having lived in the Village for 30 years, I always enjoy a film that's set there. The best scene is the conga line with the sailors, in an attempt to get them out of the apartment.Rosalind Russell's wonderful comedic skills and dry delivery work beautifully here, and when she appeared in the same role in "Wonderful Town," her reviews were sensational, and she won the 1953 Tony award. Once the '40s hit, she played smart, independent women; in the '30s, she did everything, including a few Garbo-esque turns. As the innocent man magnet Eileen, Janet Blair is very good, though I admit to liking Janet Leigh in the musical version better. Richard Quine repeats his Broadway role here, and he later directed the 1955 musical film. George Tobias is the girls' conniving landlord.Fun movie, set in a time when you could get an apartment in New York City for $35-40 a month!

For some reason or another, I'm none too hot on Rosalind Russell films. Oh, I "get" that she's one of the greatest comedic actresses ever, and I do like her, but to be honest none of her films are really favourites of mine. This was the case with "My Sister Eileen (1942)" a comedy revolving around two sisters, one an aspiring actress (Janet Blair) and one an aspiring writer (Russell), who come to New York with big hopes and dreams. But they find themselves stuck in a noisy flat, and Janet Blair's (the "Eileen" of the title) ditsy beauty invites the attentions of a succession of crazy male characters. I couldn't stand Eileen. Blair plays her well, and I don't mind the actress, it's just that Eileen is so incessantly annoying, putting poor Ros in one bad situation after the next. Even sisterly love wouldn't prevent me bitch-slapping her. The comedy is meant to flow from the crazy situations the gals find themselves in, but it just didn't work for me. Brian Aherne plays Ros's love interest, but really, why is she interested? He's bossy, has no comedic timing and she can't even get a word in edgeways! Ros sails through her role with ease, but the film falls flat as a classic comedy.

Abner! Abner! yup, that's George Tobias from "Bewitched" behind the wig and over-sized mustache playing the bushy/pushy artist and landlord in this first film version of "My Sister Eileen". Rosalind Russell and Janel Blair are sisters who come from Ohio to the big city to find fame and fortune in New York. There are some clever lines, mostly given to Russell, but it must be the direction of Alexander Hall holding this back. The Three Stooges make an appearance, and a very flat-line Brian Aherne. He keeps stepping out of the woodwork to tell Ruth (Russell) that her stories will or will not be published. Viewers will recognize Donald MacBride as the neighborhood cop, trying to keep things under control. Gordon Jones is the out of work muscle guy from upstairs, married of course, since we're well into the Hays Code by this time. He always seems to play the wrestler, the truck driver, and people named "Tex". The girls have many adventures, but the Portuguese navy is involved, and for some reason, they put Eileen (Blair) in jail, which doesn't really make sense, but you have to buy into it. It probably made more sense before it was all whitewashed for the audience. The basic story must have good footings, since the film has been remade, and it was even turned into a TV show in the 1960s. Janet Blair, who had the least experience in films at the time, turns in the best acting performance. Interesting note- Frank Quine, who had played Lippincott in the 1942 film version, directed the 1955 remake starring Janet Leigh, Jack Lemmon, and Betty Garrett. Haven't seen that one yet, but it must have been pretty good, since that one made it to video. and the 1955 version was a musical! one odd connection - the 42 version has George Tobias, and the 1955 version has Dick York, both would end up on the TV show "Bewitched"

ROSALIND RUSSELL was always at her best in comedies and here she had a role that got her an Oscar nomination for Best Actress in 1942--and it's easy to see why. She's downright hilarious as the gal from Ohio with writing ambitions and a pretty blonde sister (JANET BLAIR) with a penchant for attracting men and trouble.All the wacky situations stem from their Greenwich Village basement apartment which seems to have more visitors than Grand Central Station. It's all exaggerated fluff, but it works, thanks to a fine cast and sterling performances.RICHARD QUINE and GORDON JONES do repeats of their Broadway roles, and DONALD MacBRIDE as a policeman who wants quiet on his route is hilarious. JUNE HAVOC makes a brief appearance as a medium who used to live in the girls' apartment. GEORGE TOBIAS, as the opportunistic landlord with the Greek accent, is at his funniest in a colorful supporting role.My favorite moment is the conga sequence with Russell and Blair trying to get rid of sailors who don't speak a word of English, creating a disturbance that lands Blair in jail. Janet Blair is pleasant as the blonde bombshell but it's Russell who milks the most out of her role and gets all the laughs. She's terrific.BRIAN AHERNE does what he can with the role of the talkative editor, but it's not much of a part. Still, he adds a certain debonair charm to the role.Summing up: Notable chiefly as a terrific vehicle for Russell's unique brand of comic talent.