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| Honolulu - 1939 |
Coming up next we have 1939's "Honolulu", a film about two lookalikes who switch places and end up having to deal with the consequences. One is famous, the other is a regular Joe.
The film's cast includes Eleanor Powell, Robert Young, George Burns, Gracie Allen, Rita Johnson, Clarence Kolb, Willie Fung, Sig Ruman, Ruth Hussey, and Eddie "Rochester" Anderson.
Hawaiian pineapple farmer George Smith is on vacation in Los Angeles. When he attends a movie starring Hollywood sensation Brooks Mason, George notices an uncanny resemblance between himself and the actor on screen. The audience notices it too, and they mob George in the theater lobby. He has to be taken away in an ambulance.
The real Brooks Mason is at present not very happy. His agent has just informed him that he's got a six week personal appearance tour in New York. All Brooks wants is a vacation.
Because he looks so much like Brooks Mason, George is taken by the ambulance to the Mason mansion in Hollywood and put to bed by Mason's unsuspecting valet.
Eventually, the lookalikes come face to face, and they are fascinated by the similarities between them. "You look as much like me as I do. Even more!" exclaims Brooks to George.
Brooks strikes upon an idea. He will return to Honolulu as "George Smith", while George will go on the personal appearances tour in New York as "Brooks Mason". The two hammer out the details and shake hands on the deal.
And so, Brooks sails off to Honolulu as "George Smith", pineapple famer. He contentedly sits on deck reading the newspaper.
Unfortunately, the newspaper reports that George Smith is having a terrible time in New York as "Brooks Mason". He was mobbed by a bunch of female fans and wound up in the hospital.
A lady named Millie recognizes "Brooks" from a magazine photo. She hurries back to tell her friend Dorothy, a dancer on board the ship, that her dream man has arrived. "My dream man, and I’m gonna meet him in
person. And I warn you, if he makes one false move, I’m his!" says Millie. Dorothy tells Millie that it won't do any good to throw herself at him. "Throw myself at him? If I thought it would do any good, I’d have myself
shot at him out of a cannon," Millie quips.
Dorothy and Millie go up on deck, trip the light fantastic, and impress the ship's passengers.
Also impressed is "George Smith". Dorothy introduces him to Millie. "This is Millicent De Grasse," she says. "How do you do, Miss De Grasse?" inquires a polite undercover Brooks Mason. She smiles and says, "Oh, just call me Millie, and cut De Grasse."
"George", however, only has eyes for Dorothy. The two spend a lot of time together on board the ship.
Meanwhile, the real George is in New York looking for a way to get out of the hospital. Mason's agent has an idea to use a casket to smuggle him out. When the agent asks the coroner not to drop the casket, the coroner replies, "Brother, we never drop 'em 'til we get to the hole."
The plan is doomed to failure. "Brooks" has a nervous breakdown, and calls for his girlfriend "Cecilia" from his hospital bed.
George sends Brooks a message from New York warning him not to get to close to his girlfriend, Cecilia. Cecilia thinks that "George" has picked up some Hollywood manners and can't quite believe it's the same man. "Who taught you how to kiss?" she asks him.
"George" tries to get away and see Dorothy as often as possible. They spend a wonderful night under the Hawaiian moon at a luau. But, things don't stay so idyllic.
Brooks is arrested for something that the Hawaiian authorities think that George did. It's straightened out, but the damage is done.
Dorothy doesn't want to see him, and Millie gives him a piece of her mind. "Well, I think you’re terrible, horrible, and
despicable. And that’s only a hint of what I really think of
you," she says.
There's also the danger of a marriage to the fast-moving Cecilia. Brooks just hopes and prays that George can get there in time to stop the proceedings.
Little does he know that George has not been having the best time in New York. He even spent some time in a straight jacket!
However, George does arrive in time. It's pretty priceless to see the looks on everybody's faces when they are confronted with the identical Brooks Mason and George Smith.
All's well that ends well. The guys end up with the girls they love, the right ones. And everyone has a good laugh when they see that someone else the all know has a twin, too.
Cast rundown:
Eleanor Powell...................................Dorothy March
Robert Young....................................Brooks Mason/George Smith
George Burns....................................Joe Duffy
Gracie Allen......................................Millie De Grasse
Rita Johnson.....................................Cecilia Grayson
Clarence Kolb....................................Horace Grayson
Willie Fung........................................Wong
Sig Ruman........................................Psychiatrist
Ruth Hussey......................................Eve
Eddie "Rochester" Anderson.................Washington
And that's it for Honolulu. This was the final film role for George Burns until his 1975 Oscar-winning comeback in "The Sunshine Boys". The comedy of George Burns and Gracie Allen is featured heavily in this film, though the husband/wife team didn't actually appear together until the film's end.
