Mama Loves Papa (1945 film)

Mama Loves Papa is a 1945 American black-and-white comedy film directed by Frank R. Strayer, and written by Monte Brice, with a story by Keene Thompson and a screenplay by Charles E. Roberts, as a loose remake of the 1933 film of Mama Loves Papa written by Douglas MacLean. The film was produced by RKO Radio Pictures and stars Leon Errol and Elizabeth Risdon.[1][2][3][4][5]

Mama Loves Papa
theatrical poster
Directed byFrank R. Strayer
Produced byBenjamin Stoloff
Written byMonte Brice
Screenplay byCharles E. Roberts
Story byKeene Thompson
Based onMama Loves Papa (1933 film)
by Douglas MacLean
StarringLeon Errol
Elisabeth Risdon
Edwin Maxwell
Emory Parnell
Music byLeigh Harline
CinematographyJack MacKenzie
Edited byEdward W. Williams
Production
company
RKO Radio Pictures
Distributed byRKO Radio Pictures
(1945 theatrical)
C&C Television Corp.
Release date
  • August 8, 1945 (1945-08-08) (United States)
Running time
60 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish

Background

RKO bought the film rights to Paramount's 1933 film for $85,000.[6] Two actors who had been in the 1933 version of this film, returned to this 1945 remake in different roles. Tom McGuire who had earlier played the character of O'Leary, returned as the Chief of Police, and Ruth Warren who had earlier played the role of Sara Walker, returned as Mabel.[4][5]

Plot

Wilbur (Leon Errol) is a middle-class furniture store employee. His wife Jessie (Elisabeth Risdon) reads a book about how women can make their men more successful, and decides to remake her husband to give him a new image. Now dressed-for-success by his wife, Wilbur reports for work in fancy clothes. Thinking he is dressed for a funeral, his boss (Edwin Maxwell), sends Wilbur home for the day. When Wilbur is wandering perplexed in a nearby park, he is mistaken for the Park Commissioner. Seeing it as an opportunity, McIntosh (Paul Harvey), a crooked politician who wishes to land a lucrative deal with the city to sell them new playground equipment, has the mayor (Robert Middlemass) appoint Wilbur as "Playground Commissioner". Later, when Wilbur is about to denounce McIntosh as a crook, McIntosh has his wife (Charlotte Wynters) ply Wilbur with champagne. While Wilbur is tipsy, Jessie overhears a flirtatious and damning conversation between the two. Wilbur wakes up with a hangover, no pants, and learns that while intoxicated he brought disgrace to himself, the town, and his wife. Wilbur eventually exposes the political corruption, and when his wife finally agrees to let him leave politics, everything turns out okay.

Partial cast
Additional characters

Critical reception

Waycross Journal-Herald wrote that the film was the "hilarious results of domesticity gone wild".[1] Conversely, TV Guide wrote that when RKO bought the rights to Paramount's 1933 film for $85,000, they ended up creating "a film worth about $5".[6] Hal Erickson of Rovi wrote that with a change in plot devices and modification of script, the film was only a "loose remake of the 1935 Charlie Ruggles-Mary Boland comedy of the same name," and notes the sole redeeming feature to be Leon Errol's "rubber legs" routine already familiar to his fans.[2]

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References
  1. ""Mama Loves Papa" Homey Comedy Stars Leon Errol As Blunderer". Waycross Journal-Herald. Google News Archive. January 31, 1946. Retrieved 20 May 2011.
  2. Hal Erickson. "Mama Loves Papa (1945)". Rovi. Moviefone. Archived from the original on 4 April 2012. Retrieved 20 May 2011.
  3. Focus on film, Issues 1-12. Tantivy Press. 1970. p. 41.
  4. F. Maurice Speed (1946). Film review. W.H. Allen. p. 126.
  5. J.W. Alicoate (1946). The ... Film daily year book of motion pictures, Volume 28, Part 1946. J.W. Alicoate. p. 189.
  6. "review: Mama Loves Papa". TV Guide. Retrieved 20 May 2011.
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